Arab States Weekly Review 2nd – 8th July 2011

admin — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 11:19:44 +0000

Two bombs in Taji, north of Baghdad, killed at least 35 people. Violence in Iraq is on the rise, six months before the planned departure of American troops.

Around 98.5% of Moroccan voters approved a new constitution proposed by King Mohammed VI, who faced pro-democracy protests earlier this year.

Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, the former dictator of Tunisia, was again convicted in absentia, this time of illegally possessing drugs and weapons. Ben Ali fleed Tunisia in January and now resides in Saudi Arabia.

The German parliament questioned the sales of 200 tanks to Saudi Arabia because of the country’s poor human rights record and participation in the crackdown on protesters in Bahrain in March.

Arab States Weekly Review 19th – 25th Feb 2011

admin — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:11:28 +0000

A popular revolt against the regime in Libya turned violent as Muammar Gaddafi deployed tanks and fighter jets in an attempt to put down the protests. Rebels gained large swathes of territory in eastern Libya after taking heavy losses estimated to be at least 1,000. International pressure on Gaddafi to step down has mounted, yet the ruler of four decades refuses to step down.

Open defiance of protesters against authoritarian governments in the Middle-East spread to Morocco and Iraqi Kurdistan. In Bahrain protesters were met with fierce retaliation from the royal family, resulting in several casualties. After heavy criticism it relented and vowed to work towards political reform.

The chief prosecutor in Egypt called for the freezing of assets of deposed President Hosni Mubarak.

Oil prices soared as a result of the political strife in Libya. Brent crude traded at well above US$ 115 a barrel.

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Arab States Weekly Review 2nd – 8th July 2011

Arab States Weekly Review 19th – 25th Feb 2011