from nytimes:
The government of Tunisia scrambled alternately to appease and to crush growing unrest on Wednesday as a three-week-old wave of violent demonstrations spread for the first time to the capital, where swarms of protesters called for the ouster of the authoritarian president, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. The protesters came together after circulating calls to rally over online networks like Facebook and twitter.com. Many were unemployed college graduates, and they angrily demanded more jobs and denounced what they called the self-enrichment of Tunisia’s ruling family. Army units and riot police were deployed around the city around dawn in anticipation, and they quickly dispersed protesters with billy clubs, tear gas, and bullets. By late in the day the government decreed a night-time curfew. And there were reports that some relatives of the president were leaving the country for their own safety.
At one of several demonstrations, witnesses reported that the security forces had shot and killed four protesters. Some said the army had used rooftop snipers to fire on the crowd. Rights groups said they had confirmed more than 30 deaths before the day began, all in skirmishes with police over the last several days. “How can you fire on your own people?” said a 30-year-old business owner taking refuge from police as they broke up a protest near the French Embassy and train station downtown. “If you do that, then there is no return. Now you are a killer.” He declined to provide his name for fear of reprisals.
update: tunisia president 'will not seek new term'
related geopolitiks updates:
hezbollah & its allies topple lebanon government*
haiti's earthquake anniversary marked with prayers, concerns*
'just send your cash': where did all the haiti relief money go?*
video: activist says haiti 'controlled by foreign govts & foreign interests'*
ahead of chinese president's visit, US & china trade criticism on economic issues *
gaza residents: idf troops posing as hamas men
from haaretz:
The testimonies of Gaza Strip residents are revealing new details about the Israel Defense Forces’ mode of operation there. In the past two days, Beit Lahia residents forced from their homes said soldiers were posing as members of Hamas’ armed wing while advancing on the ground. The daily pauses in bombing allow Gazans to meet with the displaced - most of whom are housed in an UNRWA school - and hear their stories. Gaza resident S. told Haaretz he heard several people say they saw armed men wearing the uniforms and symbols of the Iz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, who “called out to each other in Arabic, as if they had caught a collaborator, and then, with the element of surprise, went into the houses.” A Gaza radio station warned that troops posing as locals were driving a vehicle normally used by paramedics. Residents said the radio broadcaster listed the vehicle’s license plate number and color.foreign press: israel a 'military dictatorship'israel recruits army of bloggers to troll antiwar websites
from paul joseph watson:
Israel has announced that it is setting up a network of bloggers to combat websites deemed “problematic” by the Zionist state, presumably to propagandize about the necessity of killing babies and infants in the name of self-defense. Israel’s global reputation for being the new Nazis was already firmly established, but the ceaseless and indiscriminate bombing of Gaza, labeled a war crime by international observers, has hardened opinion against the country and this has manifested itself nowhere more than the world wide web. Israel’s response will be to flood the Internet with PR agents who will attempt to create a phony consensus that the Zionist state’s barbarian actions are justifiable.and the rest...attack on israel from lebanon threatens 2nd front*
naomi klein: enough. it's time for a boycott of israel*
US seeks ship to move unusually large amount of weapons to israel*
uk & europe hit with riots over israel's gaza campaign*
aipac praises senate support of israel*
annie lennox & brian eno stand tall for gaza in the uk*
few speak up for palestinians in US congress*
ron paul holds US liable for gazans death*
gaza fight delays US ammo shipment to israel*
video: cnn reports on israel’s use of white phosphorous weapons*
gazans waving white flags 'shot dead as they flee their homes'*
examination of tape raises questions about osama's health*
palestinian doctor's daughters killed during live israeli tv report*
children found with bullets lodged in their head*
US sends warships to eastern mediterranean
from ap:
The U.S. Navy is sending three ships to the eastern Mediterranean Sea in a show of strength during a period of tensions with Syria and political uncertainty in Lebanon. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters the deployment should not be viewed as threatening or in response to events in any single country in that volatile region.US terror watch list surpasses 900,000 names
from threat level:
The government's centralized terrorist watch list passed the 900,000 name mark this month, according to the ACLU, which estimated the new total by relying on Congressional testimony from the fall that the sprawling list was growing by 20,000 names a month. The report the ACLU relied on to create its Watch List Counter included the following chart demonstrating the clear growth trajectory of the nation's centralized watch lists over the last several years. The Terrorist Screening Center runs the list, accepting nominations of new names from a large range of government agencies.washington gets a new colony in the balkans
from global research:
In evaluating the recent "declaration of independence" by Kosovo, a province of Serbia, and its immediate recognition as a state by the U.S., Germany, Britain and France, it is important to know three things. First, Kosovo is not gaining independence or even minimal self-government. It will be run by an appointed High Representative and bodies appointed by the U.S., European Union and NATO... Second, Washington's immediate recognition of Kosovo confirms once again that U.S. Imperialism will break any and every treaty or international agreement it has ever signed... Thirdly, U.S. Imperialist domination does not benefit the occupied people.armed-intruder drill terrifies university class
from charlotte observer:
Last Friday, an intruder entered a classroom in Moore Hall at Elizabeth City State University and pointed what appeared to be a gun at assistant professor Jingbin Wang. The man ordered students in Wang's American foreign policy class to line up against a wall and threatened to kill the student with the lowest grade-point average. "I was prepared to die," Wang recalled this week. Ten minutes after the siege began, police stormed the class and subdued the intruder. His weapon, it turned out, was red and plastic - a fake. So was the entire incident.
