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Feb 14th, 2011


Egypt Protests Echo Across Region

Groups tailor message for own causes in Iran, Yemen, Bahrain

Image: Iranian protesters throw stones at anti-riot police.
This photo, taken by an individual not employed by the Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran, shows Iranian protesters throwing stones at anti-riot police during an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Monday, Feb. 14, 2011 (Photo credit: Stringer / AP)

The Associated Press via MSNBC.com
Feb. 14, 2011

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The possible heirs of Egypt’s uprising took to the streets Monday in different corners of the Middle East: Iran’s beleaguered opposition stormed back to central Tehran and came under a tear gas attack by police. Demonstrators faced rubber bullets and birdshot to demand more freedoms in the relative wealth of Bahrain. And protesters pressed for the ouster of the ruler in poverty-drained Yemen.

The protests — all with critical interests for Washington — offer an important lesson about how groups across Middle East are absorbing the message from Cairo and tailoring it to their own aspirations. …

Tens of thousands of protesters clashed with security forces along some of Tehran’s main boulevards, which were shrouded in clouds of tear gas in scenes that recalled the chaos after the disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June 2009. A pro-government news agency reported one bystander killed by gunfire.

A new U.S. State Department Twitter account in Farsi took a jab at Iran in one of its first messages Sunday, calling on Tehran to “allow people to enjoy same universal rights to peacefully assemble, demonstrate as in Cairo.”

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed support for the Iranian protesters, saying they “deserve to have the same rights that they saw being played out in Egypt and are part of their own birthright.” …

“We are experiencing a pan-Arab democratic moment of sorts,” said Shadi Hamid, director of research at The Brookings Doha Center in Qatar. “For opposition groups, it comes down the question of, ‘If not now, when?'” …

Full story

Video

Iran protests turn violent; 1 dead (NBC Nightly News, Feb. 14, 2011) — Tens of thousands of Iranians took the streets Monday in a rally that was meant to show solidarity toward Egypt and Tunisia but quickly turned into an anti-government protest. NBC’s Ali Arouzi reports from Tehran. (02:03)

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Related reports on this site

Middle East Instability Spreading (Feb. 3, 2011)


Anti-government protesters shout slogans during a demonstration in the southern Yemeni city of Taiz on Friday, March 4, 2011. (Photo credit: Reuters).

Fears of Egyptian Domino Effect (Jan. 31, 2011)


Yemeni anti-government demonstrators demand the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa, Yemen on Friday, March 4, 2011. (Photo credit: Muhammed Muheisen / AP)

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — February 14, 2010

Biden-Cheney Duel on Talk TV

Video

Biden, Cheney square off on national security (NBC “Today,” Feb. 15, 2010) — Vice president Joe Biden and former vice president Dick Cheney took to Sunday morning airwaves to criticize each other’s administration on national security. NBC’s Savannah Guthrie reports. (02:29)

One year ago today, I reported that Vice President Joe Biden belittled Dick Cheney’s criticism of the Obama administration’s commitment to fighting terrorism as either “misinformed” or “misinforming,” saying the Iraq war wasn’t worth it because of “the horrible price” paid.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: Two Years Ago — February 14, 2009

Female Suicide Strike in Iraq

Image: Site of suicide bombing
A Shiite pilgrim inspects the scene of a suicide bomb attack in Mussayab, south of Baghdad, Iraq on Friday, Feb. 13, 2009. Dozens of people, mostly women and children, were killed in the explosion. (Photo credit: Stringer / Reuters)

Two years ago today, on Feb. 14, 2009, I reported that a female suicide bomber struck a tent filled with women and children resting during a pilgrimage south of Baghdad, killing 40 people and wounding about 80 in the deadliest of three straight days of attacks against Shiite worshippers.





4 Responses to “Protests Sweep Middle East”
  1. Immelman for Congress » Blog Archive » Middle East Protests Spread to Iraq Says:

    […] Protests Sweep Middle East (Feb. 14, 2011) […]

  2. Immelman for Congress » Blog Archive » Deadly Crackdown in Libya Says:

    […] Protests Sweep Middle East (Feb. 14, 2011) […]

  3. Immelman for Congress » Blog Archive » Gadhafi Steers Libya to Civil War Says:

    […] Protests Sweep Middle East (Feb. 14, 2011) […]

  4. Immelman for Congress » Blog Archive » ‘Day of Rage’ in Iraq Says:

    […] Protests Sweep Middle East (Feb. 14, 2011) […]

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