twitter facebook donate

News Release Archive - Resources: Trade, World Bank, IMF

The U.S. and Egyptian Army Are One?

March 15, 2011

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Cairo.

RASHA AZAB
Azab is spokesperson for the Liberties Committee at the Press Syndicate in Cairo, which is holding a news conference tomorrow on the “hundreds of Egyptians protesting in Tahrir Square who have been subject to detention and torture by members of the army and Republican Guard … and the arrest of several of them and referral to military prosecution to stand military trials.”

Dr. AIDA SEIF AL-DAWLA
El-Dawla is with the Nadeem Center for Victims of Torture in Cairo. She was profiled by Time magazine as a global hero in 2004. She notes the beating of Rami Issam, known as the “singer of Tahrir Square,” by the army as part of a broader problem. Graphic video

NUBAR HOVSEPIAN
Hovsepian is an Armenian from Egypt who teaches political science at Chapman University in California. He said today: “Revising the constitution quickly seems to be leading to maintaining much of the old constitution, including authoritarian structures.

“Labor unions are organizing groups independent of state control. Time is also needed for the formation of national political parties before elections are held.

“We’ve seen protesters beaten up by the military.

“The Egyptian military is dependent on the U.S. government, which wants change to be limited and controlled, rather than substantial and deep. The latter is what most of the people who protested actually want.” Hovsepian recently wrote the piece “The Arab Pro-Democracy Movement: Struggles to Redefine Citizenship” for the new journal Jadaliyya.

For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167

Filed Under: , Tagged With: Egypt,

Bahrain: Martial Law, Hundreds Wounded

March 15, 2011

Reuters reports: “Two men were killed and more than 200 people wounded in clashes in Bahrain on Tuesday, a hospital source said.” Extremely graphic video of Bahraini protester in hospital: youtube.com

HUSAIN ABDULLA
Abdulla is director of Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain. He said today: “It’s obvious that the Saudi and Bahraini regimes are cynically exploiting the world’s grief over the tragedy in Japan. They hope few are noticing that Saudi forces moved into the small nation of Bahrain yesterday to back the autocratic regime and attack the pro-democracy movement. Today, the King of Bahrain declared martial law and attacked protesters, hundreds have been wounded. At least two have been killed, one by Saudi forces, another by Bahrani regime forces. They have even attacked a hospital. Sec. of Defense Robert Gates was just in Bahrain. The U.S. has 6,000 soldiers in Bahrain. The U.S. is in a position to put a stop to these atrocities now — they are escalating and unless stopped will likely lead to a total massacre.”

TOBY C. JONES, @tobycraigjones
Jones is an assistant professor of history at Rutgers University and author of the book “Desert Kingdom: How Oil and Water Forged Modern Saudi Arabia.” He is regularly in touch with people in Bahrain.

REEM KHALIFA
Khalifa is senior editor for diplomatic affairs at Al Wasat in Bahrain, one of the few independent media outlets in Bahrain.

CHRISTOPHER DAVIDSON, @dr_davidson
A scholar in Middle East politics at Durham University, Davidson‘s books include Power and Politics in the Persian Gulf Monarchies. He recently wrote the piece “Lords of the Realm: The wealthy, unaccountable monarchs of the Persian Gulf have long thought themselves exempt from Middle East turmoil. No longer.”

Video of protesters marching on Saudi embassy: youtube.com
Fleeing attack: youtube.com

On Twitter: @OnlineBahrain

For more online resources: accuracy.org/uprisings

For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167

Filed Under: , Tagged With: Bahrain, Saudi,

Saudi Occupies Bahrain

March 14, 2011

CHRISTOPHER DAVIDSON
A scholar in Middle East politics at Durham University, Davidson said today: “What is happening is an invasion and occupation of Bahrain by Saudi Arabia under the guise of the Gulf Cooperation Council. This is done at the request of the regime in Bahrain to put down the pro-democracy movement there. …

“The Bahraini regime has also been advertising in the Pakistani press for mercenaries to fight in Bahrain.

“The Saudis owe a huge debt to Gaddafi. He has kept the spotlight away from them and has in effect raised the bar for the amount of violence regimes can inflict on their people.”

Davidson’s books include Power and Politics in the Persian Gulf Monarchies and he recently wrote the piece “Lords of the Realm: The wealthy, unaccountable monarchs of the Persian Gulf have long thought themselves exempt from Middle East turmoil. No longer.” On Twitter: @dr_davidson

REEM KHALIFA
Khalifa is senior editor for diplomatic affairs at Al Wasat in Bahrain, one of the few independent media outlets in Bahrain. She said today: “The protests were an internal issue. It is not legitimate for any other GCC country to come into Bahrain. The government says it wants dialogue, but through the state TV attacks reformers, protesters and independent media — and pushes this sectarian thinking that is dividing people.”

HUSAIN ABDULLA
Abdulla is director of Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain. He said today: “Saudi Arabia invading Bahrain is as if France or Italy or some other outside power invaded Libya — ON BEHALF OF GADDAFI.”

TOBY C. JONES
Jones is an assistant professor of history at Rutgers University and author of the book Desert Kingdom: How Oil and Water Forged Modern Saudi Arabia. He is regularly in touch with people in Bahrain. He said today: “This is an effort on the part of the Saudis to bring Bahrain from the tipping point. But the outcome will likely be the opposite — this is a provocation.”

See video of Bahraini government forces shooting at a protester face to face: youtube.com

On Twitter: @OnlineBahrain

For more online resources: accuracy.org/uprisings

Ad for mercenaries by Bahrani government on Pakistani webpage: faujioes.org.pk

For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167

Filed Under: , Tagged With: Bahrain, Saudi,

Democracy and Saudi Arabia

March 9, 2011

Increased protests are planned for Friday in Saudi Arabia. For a list of online resources that is being updated, see: accuracy.org/uprisings

TOBY C. JONES
Jones is an assistant professor of history at Rutgers University and author of the book Desert Kingdom: How Oil and Water Forged Modern Saudi Arabia. He said today: “The U.S. government is talking about women’s rights and the right of people to protest, but it is entering into a $60 billion arms sale with the Saudi government. …  Saudi Arabia’s citizens want real political reform. The regime does not. With the prospect of bigger protests beginning on Friday, one is gripped by both a sense of anticipation at the possibility of a real democracy movement in Saudi Arabia — and also a fear of the heavy price people will likely have to pay if they take to the streets to demand more political opportunities.” He recently wrote the piece “A Revolution Paused in Bahrain” for MERIP.

AHMED AL-MULLA
Al-Mulla is a writer and poet in Saudi Arabia. He said today: “There are many of the same issues here as in Egypt and Tunisia. About 70 percent of the people are young and frustrated with no rights, no freedoms, no jobs when they graduate. Our women’s rights situation is probably the worst in the world. After seeing others protest, people are becoming more aware, more are connecting online. There have been small protests recently, in various places and there’s the call for big protests on Friday.

“The government is spending money to make people feel better, but it’s not about money. The government tries to divide people, Shia or Sunni, but it’s not about that. It’s about the freedom to speak, it’s about the right to protest, it’s about human rights. Some political prisoners have been freed, but it is not enough. They have to announce a new, real kind of change. The government got the Mufti to issue a fatwa against protests, that it is against Islam — but people will not follow this.”

He added: “I just returned from a demonstration in Qatif — 200 protesters demanding freedom and the release of prisoners held for more than 16 years.”

JAAFAR AL-SHAYEB
Chairperson of the municipal council in Qatif, Saudi Arabia, al-Shayeb said today: “There are many demands and many petitions being circulated. Some people are calling for a constitutional monarchy, for fighting corruption, for citizenship equality — there’s no real equality between men and women, religious sects, there are tribal issues. I was elected in the first municipal elections five years ago. Half the council is elected, half appointed by the government. Women couldn’t vote in those elections; people are trying to change that too.”

For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167

Filed Under: , Tagged With: Saudi Arabia,

Behind U.S.-Backed Bahrain Regime’s “Dialogue”

March 7, 2011

Protests in Bahrain today took to the U.S. embassy with signs including “Stop Supporting Dictators.”Protest at U.S. Embassy in Bahrain

For updates on the Bahrain uprising, see the #Feb14 hashtag on Twitter; for breakdown: accuracy.org/uprisings

REEM KHALIFA
Available for a limited number of interviews, Khalifa is senior editor for diplomatic affairs at Al Wasat in Bahrain. She said today: “The regime says that it wants a dialogue, but there’s no change on the state TV and radio. It’s still filled with the same sectarian, one-sided view of events that seems designed to divide people and maintain the regime. The first step toward changing things would be an open dialogue on state TV and radio. No other TV or radio station is allowed in Bahrain. We are the only independent newspaper. When we tried to put multimedia on our webpage, the government stopped us. The government spreads malicious rumors around about anyone doing independent journalism.

“Al-Jazeera Arabic, and of course Al-Arabia, unfortunately seem to have decided that they will not actually cover what is happening in Bahrain.”

[Note: The network Al-Jazeera is based in Qatar; Al-Arabia is tied to Saudi Arabia. Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates all belong to the Gulf Cooperation Council.]

HUSAIN ABDULLA
Abdulla is director of Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain. He recently wrote the piece “A Decisive Phase: Bahrain’s Revolution,” which states: “The people’s revolution is on its track; calling for the removal of the regime and performing various activities on the road to victory. In the past week several remarkable activities were undertaken with resounding success. First came the picketing of the Financial Harbor owned by the regime’s prime minister, Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa. It was conducted at night when hundreds of protesters moved from their base at the Pearl Square and took position near the main financial center. [Read more...]

Filed Under: , Tagged With: Bahrain,

Palestinians, Israel and Freedom and Democracy

February 24, 2011

AHMET DOGAN, via Ann Wright, Greta Berlin
Professor Dogan, whose 18-year-old son Furkan was killed during the Israeli military raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla in May 2010, is in Washington, D.C. He hopes to convince U.S. officials to open an independent investigation into his son’s killing by Israeli commandos and to discuss with them what the U.S. has done, or will do, to ensure justice and accountability for his son’s killing. Furkan was an American citizen born in Troy, New York while his father was finishing his master’s degree.

Professor Dogan just wrote a piece titled “A Father Speaks for His Son,” which states: “The Obama administration’s failure to support my son and my family’s humanitarian concern for Palestinians comes from the same misguided policy that has led to decades of support for Middle East autocrats and Israeli governments that have long oppressed Palestinians. … Furkan, though young, also saw the bigger picture. He sought not simply humanitarian relief for Palestinians, but also freedom from Israeli subjugation. With freedom advancing in Tunisia, Egypt, and around the Gulf, Palestinians’ long efforts to free themselves from Israeli domination are also worthy of recognition and support.”

Note: Former Israel Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni writes today in the Washington Post of “the pursuit of aims by peaceful means, commitment to the rule of law and to equality before the law.” See previously “Livni: A lawyer ‘against law’?”

NOUR JOUDAH
Joudah is a graduate student at Georgetown University and a spokesperson for the U.S. Palestinian Community Network. She said today: “The leadership of the Palestinian Authority acted without proper delegation from the Palestinian people. Their actions echo the dictatorial rule that has typified the rest of the Arab world and however unfortunate, it is no surprise that the PA has suppressed popular Palestinian protests in solidarity with the Egyptian people in the Occupied West Bank. As Arabs move to protest such rule over their lives, from Tunisians, to Egyptians to Yemenis to Jordanians, Libyans and Bahrainis, we also move as Palestinians of the U.S., refugees outside our land and an inseparable part, like other Palestinian refugees the world over, of the Palestinian national body, to protest the dictatorial and unrepresentative rule of the PA.” USPCN will hold a news conference on Monday outside the PLO offices in Washington, D.C.

Background: Recently Al-Jazeera released the “Palestine Papers,” which document acquiescence by the PA to Israel. The head Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, resigned after their release.

For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167

Filed Under: , Tagged With: democracy, Israel, Palestinians,

Libya

February 24, 2011

The following Libyan analysts are available for a limited number of interviews on the situation in Libya, its history and U.S. policy toward that country:

AKRAM RAMADAN, @akrambenramadan
A Libyan activist living in London, Ramadan is on his way to Libya. He is available for a limited number of interviews from 2 ET till 5 ET before he departs London. According to Al Jazeera English, his father — a nuclear physicist who refused to work for Gaddafi — was imprisoned for years and tortured by Gaddafi’s regime. Ramadan calls on Western governments to state that they will no longer buy oil from Gaddafi’s regime. He also likens the Libyan uprising to the Palestinian intifada.

ALI AHMIDA
Chair of the department of political science at the University of New England, Ahmida’s books include The Making of Modern Libya and Forgotten Voices: Power and Agency in Colonial and Postcolonial Libya — largely about the little-known Italian genocide in Libya of 100 years ago. He said today: “Despite the brutal backlash it is too late for the regime; Libyan people are rising and fighting for change.”

The new online journal Jadaliyya just posted an audio of an interview with Ahmida.

KHALED MATTAWA, @kmattawa
Mattawa, a Libyan poet, was interviewed on Democracy Now on Monday.

Ahmida and Mattawa were recently on Charlie Rose.

For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167

Filed Under: , Tagged With: Libya,

Bahrain and Yemen Regimes: Saudi and U.S. Backing

February 23, 2011

See uprisings resource page: accuracy.org/uprisings

HUSAIN ABDULLA
Abdulla is director of Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain. He recently wrote the piece “The Revolt in Bahrain.”

He said today: “King Hamad bis Isa Al Khalifs, the ruler of Bahrain, is in Saudi Arabia today to get assurances from the Saudi regime. The Saudi regime will back the Al Khalifa ruling family in Bahrain if things get worst and out of hand. Some Saudi troops already are in Bahrain monitoring the situation and ready to act if needed. …

“I am not sure if the ruling family themselves are serious about any serious dialogue because when you watch the Bahrain TV, you see nothing but sectarian attacks on those who are staying in the Lulu roundabout-square. Moreover, the different statements that are coming from different members of the ruling family, like the foreign minister or the prime minister, are building serious doubts among the people and raising the questions and concerns whether there is a serious intention for the dialogue. …

“I am hearing more people openly calling for the regime to be toppled, through peaceful means, and Bahrain to be ruled by the people of Bahrain. In addition, there is a serious call for complete (not partial which is the case now) civil disobedience in the country to force the ruling family to leave the country in the same manner that took place in Tunisia and Egypt.”

SUSANNE DAHLGREN
Dahlgren writes frequently on Yemen. She is Academy of Finland research fellow with the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies and the author of Contesting Realities: The Public Sphere and Morality in Southern Yemen. (Syracuse Univ. Press 2010)

She said today: “As demonstrations in Yemen are getting bigger and more violent day by day, members of the ruling People’s General Congress party are starting to resign from high posts as a sign of diminished support around President Salih. In a recent move, Minister of Tourism Nabil Hassan al-Faqih has suggested that presidential elections should be announced immediately to be held in September without Salih as a candidate. The question in the Southern regions of Yemen is whether any suggestion on dialogue with the opposition is enough [given] the demands to break out from the union with North. It is the time U.S. administration starts to reconsider its support to Salih regime in the name of ‘fight against terrorism.’ The U.S. military aid is now deployed against peaceful protesters, young people who go to streets to voice their legitimate demands. The Salih regime is sending security forces, snipers and thugs against the peaceful demonstrators and casualties are very young people indeed. As the major supporter of Salih regime, the U.S. should start to focus on the real source of terror in Yemen, that of its regime against its youth.”

Background: “The Yemeni government covered up U.S. drone strikes against al-Qaeda there and claimed the bombs were its own, according to the WikiLeaks documents” in British Telegraph.

For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167

Filed Under: , Tagged With: Bahrain, yemen,

Wisconsin and Egypt: Waves of Protests and Solidarity

February 22, 2011

KAMAL ABBAS, TAMER FATHY
Abbas is general coordinator for the Center for Trade Union and Workers Services in Egypt. Fathy is international relations coordinator for the group, which is an umbrella advocacy organization for independent unions in Egypt. It has been awarded the French Republic’s Human Rights Prize, suffered repeated harassment and attacks by the Mubarak regime and critically joined the protests against Mubarak in early February. Labor mobilization has been a driving force against the Mubarak regime for several years; the April 6 movement gets its name from labor support actions among Egyptian youth. Abbas has recorded a video statement in solidarity with the protesters in Wisconsin.

ROBERT KRAIG
Kraig is executive director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. He is at the Capitol in Madison and is closely following developments. He recently wrote the piece “Walker’s National Guard comments a thinly veiled threat against workers.”

BEN MANSKI
Manski is executive director of the Liberty Tree Foundation and a spokesperson for the new umbrella group Wisconsin Wave. He is a lifelong Wisconsinite and a public interest attorney. Manski said today: “This is what Wisconsinites face: the loss of our unions, the selling off of our universities, the elimination of our health services, the end of our middle class. No wonder Wisconsinites are rising in a wave of protest.”

KABZUAG VAJ
Vaj is a co-founder and current co-executive director of the group Freedom Inc. She is a long-time advocate for women of color and a Hmong refugee. Vaj and her family have been active community members in Madison for more than 25 years. She said today: “This anti-union bill includes serious threats to Medicaid — it would give broad authority to the Department of Health Services and supersede statutory provisions, which is expected to limit eligibility. On its heels, we expect further cuts to life-saving services, discriminatory voter ID legislation and Arizona-type anti-immigrant proposals.That’s why we are part of a wave of resistance with union workers, low-income families and communities of color across this state.”

STANLEY KUTLER
Kutler just wrote the piece “What Gov. Walker Won’t Tell You,” which states: “There is a kernel of truth in Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s claim of a ‘budget shortfall’ of $137 million. But Walker, a Republican, failed to tell the state that less than two weeks into his term as governor, he, with his swollen Republican majorities in the Wisconsin Legislature, pushed through $117 million in tax breaks for business allies of the GOP. There is your crisis.”
Kutler is the author of The Wars of Watergate and other writings. He taught constitutional and legal history for 35 years at the University of Wisconsin.

For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020, (202) 421-6858; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167

Filed Under: , Tagged With: Egypt, labor, protest, unions, Wisconsin,

Massacre in Bahrain

February 17, 2011

REEM KHALIFA
Available for a limited number of interviews, Khalifa is senior editor for diplomatic affairs at Al Wasat in Bahrain. She said today: “The regime forces just came and massacred a crowd of people as they slept.

“The young people marching were so beautiful. They were chanting together, shouting ‘neither Sunni nor Shia but Bahraini’. We have not seen this before. And this is what annoyed the government agents the most — they are always trying to divide the people. So they just went at night and massacred them, there were children there. And now the regime is spreading lies about me and other journalists who are trying to say what is happening.” See her Twitter feed: @reemkhalifa17

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof tweeted from Bahrain: “King Hamad of Bahrain will never regain credibility after attacking peaceful protesters as they slept. Blood is forever on his hands.” Kristof also notes that members of the royal family are spreading rumors about him: “Example of #Bahrain govt propaganda: @alibinkhalifa of royal family tweeted that I am ‘supporting outlaws with weapons.’”

See #Bahrain Twitter feed

TOBY C. JONES
Jones recently wrote the piece “Is Bahrain Next?” for the new journal Jadaliyya.
He is an assistant professor of history at Rutgers University and author of the forthcoming Desert Kingdom: How Oil and Water Forged Modern Saudi Arabia.

For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167

Filed Under: , Tagged With: Bahrain,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »