First Egyptian Election in the Post Mubarak Era

Egypt's First Polling Day Deemed Successful, Muslim Brotherhood Unethical

Violence was barely seen on the first day of the parliamentary elections, but there were other violations, many of which were linked to the Muslim Brotherhood

The first day of the maiden post-revolution parliamentary elections witnessed several drawbacks and violations across the nation, most of which were reportedly committed by the Muslim Brotherhood. Yet, it is fair to say that, on the whole, the ballot opener turned out to be way better than initially expected.

The elections got underway on 28 November as scheduled, in spite of political turmoil and further deteriorating security in Egypt in the wake of severe clashes that took place between protesters and Central Security Forces, and lasted for days in Tahrir Square and surrounding streets this month.

Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Mohammed Morsi shakes hands with a solider on the first day of
parliamentary elections in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Nov. 28, 2011 (Photo: AP)

Last week’s bloody clashes, which saw over 40 killed and several thousand injured, significantly intensified revolutionaries’ calls for the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) to immediately hand over power to a national salvation government led by presidential hopeful Mohamed ElBaradei.

The anti-SACF demonstrators believe a parliament under the ruling SCAF would have no real constitutional authority and insisted the military rulers had to step down before elections. Subsequently, they joined the current Tahrir Square sit-in that up until yesterday consisted of many thousands, boycotting the polling.

As police forces used batons, tear gas and even live ammunition against pro-democracy demonstrators during the confrontations, many also demanded the postponement of the ongoing elections, saying security has to improve first in order to ensure transparency and safety of the ballot.

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COMMENTARY:  Today saw the first election in the post-Mubarak era and all Egyptian's should be very proud.  No matter whether these elections are completely fair or not, this is a first step toward freedom and choice for the people of Egypt.

In listening to various interviews with citizens of Egypt on the BBC this afternoon.  Most, even those that were apprehensive, felt that they needed to vote just so that they could say that they voted and made their choice.  If it turns out that the election plagued with corruption, they can continue protesting and pushing for governmental and electoral reforms.  My heart goes out to them and I hope that they achieve all that they hoped from these elections.  God Bless Egypt!

U.S. Supreme Court Denies Troy Davis' Stay of Execution

This is a dark day for the United States. We pride ourselves on our rule of law and our humanity yet today there has been a miscarriage of justice.

Troy Davis, 42

With the rejection of a request for a stay of execution for Troy Davis by the United States Supreme Court, his execution by lethal injection will proceed.  Even with much of the evidence presented 20 years ago at his trial being brought into question, including the recanting of testimony by 7 out of 9 witnesses and faulty ballistics testing, his final attempt to escape the death penalty has been exhausted.

No one should be executed when their guilt is brought into question by the evidence which got them convicted.  On this day I am not proud to be an American.

May God bless his soul, and may those who allowed this travesty to proceed be comfortable with their consciences.

The story can be read at the link below:

Supreme Court rejects last-minute plea to block Troy Davis execution in Georgia - The Washington Post http://wapo.st/qzyoyh

Syria: US presses for opposition dialogue with Assad - Guardian UK

Details emerge of a controversial 'roadmap' for reforms that would leave him in power despite demands for his overthrow

The US is pushing the Syrian opposition to maintain dialogue with Bashar al-Assad's regime as details emerge of a controversial "roadmap" for reforms that would leave him in power for now despite demands for his overthrow during the country's bloody three-month uprising.

Syria's president Bashar al-Assad has mentioned proposed changes in public,
but some fear he is trying to buy time and brush up his image. Photograph: AP

Syrian opposition sources say US state department officials have been discreetly encouraging discussion of the unpublished draft document, which circulated at an unprecedented opposition conference held on Monday in Damascus. But Washington denies backing it.

Assad would oversee what the roadmap calls "a secure and peaceful transition to civil democracy". It calls for tighter control over the security forces, the disbanding of "shabiha" gangs accused of atrocities, the legal right to peaceful demonstrations, extensive media freedoms, and the appointment of a transitional assembly.

The carefully phrased 3,000-word document demands a "clear and frank apology" and accountability for organisations and individuals who "failed to accommodate legitimate protests", and compensation for the families of victims. The opposition says 1,400 people have been killed since mid-March. The government says 500 members of the security forces have died.

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Israel delegation condemns Germany decision to host Iran politicians - Haaretz

(Haaretz) - A delegation of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee visiting in Germany sent an angry letter to German officials protesting the host country’s decision to invite an official delegation from the Iranian Majlis Parliament to meet with Germany’s Bundestag Parliament.

“We, the chairman and other members of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, in Berlin on an official visit, seriously protest the visit of Iranian Majlis members in Berlin,” the members of the delegation, headed by MK Shaul Mofaz wrote in their letter upon discovering the Iranian parliament members were in Berlin as well.

The letter, addressed to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany’s Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, the chairman of the Bundestag and its foreign committee, continued, saying that the delegation members were “deeply disappointed by their [Iranian parliament members’] reception by officials in Germany, including the German parliament.”

The committee members called the Majlis a “parliamentary façade for a murderous regime that oppresses its people, torturing and murdering young students who dare protest.” The letter accused the Iranian government of “supporting and exporting terror, assisting [Syrian President Bashar] Assad in stifling the protests against him and denying the Holocaust, all while producing nuclear weapons and missiles to commit genocide against the Jewish people.”

The delegation expressed deep disappointment in Germany’s decision to invite the Iranian parliamentarians, saying “it cannot stand that while Germany calls for harsh sanctions against the Iranian regime, official representatives of Germany and its citizens undermine this policy."

The letter cautioned that “by meeting with Iranian Majlis members they are sending a dangerous message that the sanctions against Iran are being leveled without sincerity.”

The committee members stressed that they “could not stand by as German representatives conduct a dialogue with a regime that calls for the extermination of a nation.”

They continued, expressing concern about the “dangerous ties between German representatives and their Iranian counterparts.” The delegation said it was hopeful that the ties would desist, concluding that they “cannot remain silent while representatives of a murderous regime are being received in the heart of democratic Europe.”

Syria: 'Let her go': Support grows for lesbian blogger's release

Online campaigns to free a Syrian-American lesbian blogger gained momentum Tuesday as thousands of people worldwide demanded her release.

The disappearance of Amina Arraf, a 36-year-old writer known for her frank posts about her sexuality and open criticism of Syrian President Bashar Assad's autocratic rule, prompted an outpouring of support from social network users.

Arraf wrote a blog called "A Gay Girl in Damascus," a mixture of erotic prose and updates about Syria's violent uprising, including her participation in anti-regime protests. She was detained after weeks on the run in the Syrian capital, family members said Tuesday.

As soon as Arraf's partner, Sandra Bagaria of Montreal, learned of her disappearance, she quickly turned to Twitter and Facebook for help, The New York Times reported.

By 6 p.m. ET Tuesday, The Free Amina page on Facebook had gained 8,066 followers, up from 150 followers Monday evening. Online support poured in from South America, North America, Europe, Africa and Australia.

"God Bless you, wherever you are may your courage be an example to others. Support and solidarity against repression in any form from Darjeeling, India," posted Kundan Rai on Tuesday. Minutes later, Rim Toum shared this Facebook post: "Support from Tunisia! We think about the Syrian people and wish them to gain their freedom soon."

On Petitionbuzz.com, at least 1,418 people signed an online petition calling for Arraf's release on Tuesday. "Let her go!" wrote Anabelle Vo on the site.

Attempts by msnbc.com to contact Bagaria or family members were unsuccessful Tuesday evening.

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SYRIA DEATH TOLL RISES AS CITY IS PLACED UNDER SIEGE

(Amnesty International) - At least 48 people have been killed in Syria by the security forces in the last four days, local and international human rights activists have told Amnesty International, as the crackdown on the coastal city of Banias intensified.

Massive protests around Syria

 have been met with brutal force

© Demotix

More than 350 people – including 48 women and a 10-year-old child – are also said to have been arrested in the Banias area over the past three days with scores being detained at a local football pitch. Among those rounded up were at least three doctors and 11 injured people taken from a hospital.

“Killings of protesters are spiralling out of control in Syria – President Bashar al-Assad must order his security forces to stop the carnage immediately,” said Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Amnesty International has compiled the names of 28 people who were apparently shot dead by security forces on Friday and those of 12 others killed over the last three days.
The organization now has the names of 580 protesters and others killed since mid-March, when protests against the government of President Bashar al-Assad began.

The 28 people killed on Friday include at least nine in Homs, six in Hama, four in Latakia, four in Dayr al-Zor, three in Dera’a, one in Idleb and one in Damascus.

Multiple sources told Amnesty International that on Saturday, security forces shot dead four women – Leila Taha, Ahlam Hwaysqeh, Marwa ‘Abbas and Leila Sahiouni – who were protesting on the road from Banias to the village of al-Marqab to call for the release of those detained by security forces.

Yesterday, information received indicates that two people were shot dead by snipers in the southern town of Tafas – Abu Gharib al-Ridawi and the wife of the lawyer Faysal al-Zu’bi. Three people were also shot dead in Homs, including Muhammad Ahmed Muhammad and ‘Abd al-Hadi al-Shimali.

A further two unarmed demonstrators were reported killed in Dayr al-Zor and one in the village of Jisr Shahour. In addition, an 11-year-old boy, Qassem Zuheyr al-Ahmed, was killed last night in Homs.

The Syrian security forces have placed Banias and other cities under siege. In Banias, water, electricity and telecommunications have been cut off and a Syrian human rights activist told Amnesty International that on Monday morning there were at least 30 tanks on the city’s streets.

On Saturday, tanks in Banias fired shells from Ibn Khaldun Street into the residential area of Ras al-Naba’. Four people were killed in the city that day. Snipers have been positioned on the roofs of buildings and yesterday reportedly shot dead Wa’el Bkour and Ahmed Qouqour.

Tanks have also entered Syria’s third-largest city, Homs, and the Mu’dhamiyeh suburb of Damascus, as well as Tafas. Today in Dera’a, Waleed Hamed Ta’m Allah Abazeid was reported to have been shot dead.

The Syrian government continues to attribute killings to “terrorist armed gangs” conspiring against it.

The Syrian State News Agency, SANA, said that yesterday a minibus carrying civilians was ambushed near Homs by an “armed terrorist gang”, resulting in the deaths of 10 workers. One Syrian human rights activist told Amnesty International, however, that the minibus had been shot at by security forces manning a checkpoint.

Amnesty International has not been allowed access to the country and can not verify the conflicting reports.

“The Syrian authorities are tightening the vice on residents of cities around Syria, punishing whole populations in their attempt to stamp out opposition,” said Philip Luther.

“These draconian measures must come to an end – Syrians must be allowed to protest without fear of deadly violence being used against them, and the authorities must restore water, electricity and phone lines.”

Syrian security forces arrested at least several hundred over the weekend, adding to the hundreds, or possibly even thousands, already held – mostly in incommunicado detention - since protests began.

“The Syrian authorities must release those protesters being held across the country for peacefully calling for reform,” said Philip Luther. “Many are held without charge, have not had access to lawyers or family members and their wellbeing is in danger.”

Insurgents' Fight In Kandahar Halted By Afghan Security Forces

(Huffington Post) - KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Afghan security forces on Sunday killed a few insurgents who had barricaded themselves inside a hotel in the southern city of Kandahar, ending a two-day battle that left more than two dozen militants dead, officials said.


The battle raised new questions about the effectiveness of a yearlong campaign to secure Afghanistan's south and Kandahar in particular. The city was the birthplace of the Taliban and is the economic hub of southern Afghanistan.

The Taliban attack on Kandahar was the most ambitious since the insurgents declared the start of a spring offensive last month against NATO.

Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, said NATO forces had expected the insurgents to try to carry out spectacular attacks during the spring and summer fighting season. He said Afghan forces managed to deal with the attacks in Kandahar "calmly and capably."

The fighting began around noon Saturday when a Taliban force launched a major assault on government buildings across the city.

The hotel is next to the intelligence agency headquarters and a police station and was used to stage Saturday's daylong attacks against the two government buildings. Afghan forces secured the government buildings, bringing fighting to a temporary halt Saturday night, though sporadic gunshots and explosions could be heard around the city.

The Taliban plans for a major spring offensive and announced on April 30 that it had begun.

Interior Ministry spokesman Zemeri Bashary said firefights resumed Sunday when security forces began to clear the hotel.

In the two days of fighting, 25 insurgents and two members of the Afghan security forces were dead. Another 40 people were wounded. Of the dead attackers, nine had detonated their suicide vests. Security forces captured another four, Bashary added.

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Obama's '60 Minutes' Interview: Osama Bin Laden Mission 'Longest 40 Minutes Of My Life'

(Huffington Post) - "Justice was done," President Barack Obama said in an interview with Steve Kroft on CBS's "60 Minutes." Regarding the Osama bin Laden mission, Obama said, "As nervous as I was about this whole process, the one thing I didn't lose sleep over was the possibility of taking bin Laden out."

President Obama's biggest concern? "If I'm sending those guys in and Murphy's Law applies and something happens, can we still get our guys out?" Obama admitted that "there would have been significant consequences" if bin Laden had not been there. "As outstanding a job as our intelligence teams did... at the end of the day, this was still a 55/45 situation. I mean, we could not say definitively that bin Laden was there." He then re-emphasized, "My number one concern was: can our guys get in and get out safely?"

When asked about his fear of failure, Obama said, "You think about Black Hawk Down. You think about what happened with the Iranian rescue. And I am very sympathetic to the situation for other Presidents where you make a decision, you're making your best call, your best shot, and something goes wrong -- because these are tough, complicated operations... the day before, I was thinking about this quite a bit."

According to Obama, "I made the decision Thursday night, informed my team Friday morning, and then we flew off to look at the tornado damage. To go to Cape Canaveral, to make a commencement speech. And then we had the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night. So this was in the back of my mind all weekend." Steve Kroft asked, "Just the back?" Obama added, "Middle. Front."

As the operation was being executed, Obama said, "It was the longest 40 minutes of my life, with the possible exception of when Sasha got meningitis."

Kroft asked if this was the most satisfying week of Obama's presidency, and he replied that it was certainly one of them, because "obviously bin Laden had been not only a symbol of terrorism, but a mass murderer who had eluded justice for so long, and so many families who have been affected I think had given up hope."

President Obama went on to say that the decision to launch the attack was "certainly one" of the most difficult decisions as Commander-in-Chief. "This was a very difficult decision in part because the evidence we had was not absolutely conclusive... Obviously it entailed enormous risk to the guys that I sent in there."

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Egypt revolutionary youth defy Islamist threats and attend Pope's sermon

Egyptian revolutionary youth, some Muslims, attended the Coptic Pope's Wednesday sermon in unity with their compatriots after Salafist threaten that they will harm any attendees

(Ahram Online) - Hundreds of youth who participated in the January 25 Revolution attended the weekly sermon of Pope Shenouda III, patriarch of Egypt’s Coptic Church, after Islamist groups, the Salafist, made threats over the internet that they will harm anyone who attends.

The sermon was attended by 10 thousand people, including Muslims and many veiled women. It was also attended by well-known Egyptian journalist, Adel Hammouda and Nawara Negm, the daughter of famous Egyptian poet, Ahmed Fouad Negm.

The Pope expressed his sadness for the strife that has been tearing at Egypt and focused his sermon on forgiveness.

While there are sections in Egyptian society that after the freedom (of speech, for example) of the January 25 Revolution are inciting sectarian hatred, other sections of society are standing firmly behind the idea of Egyptian unity, regardless of religion.

The Pope’s weekly sermon is held every Wednesday.

Female’s faith threatens delicate religious balance in Egypt

Islamists threaten to protest in front of a Coptic cathedral over Camilia Shehata, who they say converted to Islam but is captive by the church; experts tell Ahram Online they fear violence if she doesn’t appear in public.

(Ahram Online) - Islamists are preparing to protest in front of a Coptic cathedral this Friday, demanding for the release of Camilia Shehata - a Copt who they claim has converted to Islam and is now being held against her will by the Coptic church – as well as to oust Pope Shenouda III.

Islamists protest in Cairo near the Coptic Cathedral in Cairo (Photo: Reuters)

The wife of priest Tadros Samaan, Camilia Shehata, 26 years old, disappeared in July 2010 after reportedly converting to Islam, causing a stir among Islamists. In response, Islamists have already protested multiple times.

“If the Salafists and the Copts clash this Friday, a civil war will break out in Egypt,” Emad Gad, Researcher at Ahram Strategic Center voiced his fears.

Other Islamic scholars are also sceptical about the Salafists protesting before the Coptic cathedral.

“If the Salafists want to protest, they ought to do that before governmental buildings and not religious ones,” Kamal Habib, specialist in Islamic groups studies, told Ahram Online.

Habib echoes the fear that Salafists protesting before the cathedral might increase the sectarian tension in Egypt.

The General Prosecutor has started an investigation on the issue Tuesday by interrogating Priest Aghabious, the priest of the church of Shehata’s husband, Amwas and her lawyer, Naguib Gobrael. “Shehata’s faith was not mentioned during the investigation,” said Gobrael, knowing that it would make a difference in Egyptian’s response to these events.

In an attempt to calm things down, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) posted a statement on its Facebook page, communiqué number (44), declaring that, currently, there are several attempts to challenge Egyptian unity and that the SCAF would work to combat them by any means.

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EGYPTIAN AUTHORITIES MUST ALLOW PEACEFUL PROTEST AND THE RIGHT TO STRIKE

(Amnesty International) - The Egyptian authorities must abolish a recent law criminalizing peaceful protests and strikes, Amnesty International said ahead of tomorrow’s planned protests for International Workers’ Day in Cairo’s Tahrir Square.

The organization called for workers’ rights to be protected, as protesters gather to demand the lifting of restrictions on forming trade unions, the introduction of an adequate minimum wage and the reinstatement of co-workers dismissed for their trade union activities.

“The authorities must seize this historic moment of reform in Egypt and commit to protecting workers’ rights in the country,” said Amnesty International.

“The protesters’ legitimate demands are not new, but this is a fresh opportunity for the Egyptian authorities to abide by their obligations and act positively on them”.

“A first step would be to scrap the law banning strikes and to allow independent trade unions to operate freely.”

Sunday’s gathering is being planned by trade unions, political parties and women’s groups, human rights organizations as well as the “popular committees for the defence of the revolution”.

Among the triggers of the 25 January uprising in Egypt that led to the fall of former President Mubarak were calls for an end to poverty, and demands for social justice and dignity.

During 2010, thousands of protests, strikes and sit-ins were staged by Egyptian workers in both the public and private sectors, protesting the rising cost of living and demanding better wages and working conditions.

But a new law which entered into force on 12 April this year criminalizes demonstrations and strikes and places protesters at risk of imprisonment and heavy fines.

Law No. 34 of 2011 stipulates a prison sentence and a fine of up to 50,000 Egyptian Pounds (about US$8,400) for anyone who takes part in or encourages others to join a sit-in or any other activity that prevents, delays or disrupts the work of public institutions or public authorities.

If there is any violence or if protests damage public and private property, lead to the “destruction of means of production” or cause harm to “national unity and public security and order” , the fine rises to 500,000 Egyptian Pounds (about US$84,000) with at least a year’s imprisonment.

Amnesty International said that such vaguely worded provisions were in breach of international law. The right to strike is guaranteed under Article 8 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to which Egypt is a state party.

The organization said that the Egyptian authorities also have a duty to uphold the right to peaceful assembly under Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

 “The adoption of this law at a moment where people are seeking to realize their demands for more human rights and dignity and preserve the achievement of the uprising is a major setback,” said Amnesty International.

“The law stands at odds with the demands of many Egyptians and Egypt’s international human rights obligation and must be repealed immediately.”

In its Egypt: Human Rights Agenda for Change, Amnesty International calls for workers’ rights to be upheld.

UAE: Civil Society Crackdown Widens - Human Rights Watch

Government Takes Over a Second Group's Board

(Human Rights Watch) - (London) - The United Arab Emirates expanded its crackdown on civil society on May 2, 2011, by dissolving the elected board of directors of the Teachers' Association, Human Rights Watch said today. This was the second prominent civil society organization to face a hostile government takeover in less than two weeks.

"This attack on civil society is further proof that those in power in the UAE see anyone calling for reform as fair game," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "UAE authorities should immediately stop their hostile takeover of civil society and free the peaceful democracy activists."

The decree, signed by Social Affairs Minister Mariam Mohammed Khalfan Al Roumi, dismissed the Teachers' Association's board and replaced its members with state appointees. The minister issued a similar decree issued on April 21,dissolving the board of the Jurist Association. On April 6, both associations, along with two other nongovernmental organizations, co-signed a public appeal calling for greater democracy in the country. Since April 8, the UAE has also detained at least five prominent democracy activists.

According to the decree, the Teachers' Association violated section 16 of the UAE's 2008 Law on Associations, which prohibits nongovernmental organizations and their members from interfering "in politics or in matters that impair state security and its ruling regime." The ministerial decree against the Jurist Association cited the same infraction. The Law on Associations tightly controls nongovernmental organizations permitted to operate in the UAE. The Teachers' Association was established in 1980 to represent and defend the rights of teachers and has more than 280 Emirate members.

The UAE government has also targeted individuals, including leading human rights activist Ahmed Mansoor, as part of its crackdown on peaceful dissents in recent weeks. Authorities say they are continuing their criminal investigation of five detained activists for "opposing the government" and "insulting" top officials. On April 25, Attorney General Salim Saeed Kubaish said that the five detainees were in "preventative custody" for "instigation, breaking laws and perpetrating acts that pose a threat to state security, undermining the public order, opposing the government system, and insulting the President, the Vice President and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi."

Authorities arrested Mansoor on April 8, and are holding him at the Al Wathba prison in Abu Dhabi.Mansoor has been a vocal proponent of a petition submitted in March to UAE authorities demanding democratic reforms. Before his arrest, he gave numerous television and other media interviews on the issue. Mansoor is a member of Human Rights Watch's Middle East advisory committee.

On April 10, security forces detained Nasser bin Ghaith, an economics lecturer at the Abu Dhabi branch of Paris' Sorbonne University, who has criticized UAE authorities for failing to undertake significant political reforms. Authorities have also arrested three other online activists: Fahad Salim Dalk, Hassan Ali al-Khamis, and Ahmed Abdul Khaleq.

The United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders provides that countries should "take all necessary measures to ensure the protection of everyone against any violence, threats, retaliation, adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action" as a result of their participation in human rights activity.

Blog - U.S. troops kill Osama bin Laden in Pakistan

(CNN) - Editor's note: We'll be providing you with the latest information, the most interesting and compelling details and angles on Osama bin Laden's death as we get them here on this live blog. For the big picture that tells the story in full,click here. But stay with us for news as it continues to break.

[Updated 9:30 p.m. ET] Addressing a group of congressional leaders at the White House this evening, President Barack Obama said that when Americans learned of Osama bin Laden's death, "I think we experienced the same sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11."

"We were reminded again that there is a pride in what this nation stands for and what we can achieve that runs far deeper than party, far deeper than politics," Obama said. "I want to again recognize the heroes who carried out this incredibly dangerous mission as well as all the military and counterterrorism professionals who made the mission possible.”

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Osama bin Laden

THE OPERATION: Attack details | Timeline | In plain sight | The compound 
THE REACTION: U.S. | World | Middle East  | Healing wounds | Your thoughts 
THE MAN: Bin Laden, over the years | Face of terror | Ideology lives on| His life 
THE SECURITY ISSUES: What's next for al Qaeda | A deathblow to al Qaeda?
THE POLITICS: A victory for Obama, U.S. | Re-election impact?
THE ANNOUNCEMENT: Obama: Justice done | Watch  | Transcript
THE PAKISTANIS: What did Pakistan know? | Pakistan's role?  

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[Updated 9:10 p.m. ET] A senior U.S. official says that the woman who has killed during the raid on the compound where Osama bin Laden was found was not a wife of bin Laden, and that she may not have been used as a human shield as previously reported. A wife was there, according to an official, but not killed.

Earlier Monday, John Brennan, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, told reporters that it was his understanding that the woman who was killed was one of bin Laden's wives. Other officials had said that the woman who died was used as a human shield in an attempt to protect bin Laden.

[Updated 8:48 p.m. ET] Time magazine contributor Omar Waraich says he spoke to Sohaib Athar, an Abbottabad resident and software engineer whounknowingly reported, on Twitter, details of Monday morning's raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Athar had written on Twitter that, among other things, he was hearing a helicopter hovering above Abbottabad.

"When he found out (the commotion was because of) Osama bin Laden, he said to me it was quite ironic," Waraich told CNN's John King. "He said he had left his native city of Lahore, the second largest city in Pakistan, for the quiet of Abbottabad so he could escape suicide bombings and the sounds of explosions rattling his home and frightening himself and his wife. And he said the ultimate irony was that (in) this quiet place he'd moved to, he had found Osama bin Laden as a neighbor.”

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Syrian army overtakes mosque, killing 4

(MSNBC / AP) - BEIRUT — Syrian army troops backed by tanks and three helicopters on Saturday took a prominent mosque that had been controlled by residents in a besieged southern city killing four people, a witness said.

The operation in the town of Daraa came a day after President Bashar Assad unleashed deadly force to crush a months-old revolt, killing at least 65 people, mostly in the border town.

Daraa resident Abdullah Abazeid said the assault on the mosque lasted 90 minutes during which troops used tank shells and heavy machine guns. Three helicopters took part of the operation dropping paratroopers on to the mosque itself, he said.

The Omari mosque, in Daraa's Roman-era old town, had been under the control of the residents.

Story: US toughens sanctions against Syria

Daraa is the heart of a six-week-old uprising against the government and has been under siege since Monday when the government first sent in tanks to crush the daily demonstrations.

Abazeid said that among the dead was Osama Ahmad, the son of the mosque's imam, Sheik Ahmad Sayasna. The other three were a woman and her two daughters who were killed when a tank shell hit their home near the mosque, he said.

In the early hours of the morning, military reinforcements poured into Daraa, including 20 armored personnel carriers, four tanks, and a military ambulance, a resident of the city told The Associated Press.

Uprising has cost 535 their lives
The head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdul-Rahman, said 65 people were killed Friday. with 36 deaths in the Daraa province, 27 in the central Homs region, one in Latakia and another in the Damascus countryside. Total civilian deaths since the uprising began has reached 535, he said.

The latest deaths came as the United States slapped three top officials in Assad's regime — including his brother — with sanctions and nations agreed to launch a U.N.-led investigation of Syria's crackdown.

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Election 2012: The Lesser of Two Evils — Again

It is time once again to prepare for another long presidential electoral season, a season which will last just shy of 20 months. Looking at the field of potential candidates, we see many of the same faces we saw in 2008, with a few notable exceptions. I, for one, think that it is time to retire at least some of these political has-beens and bring in some fresh blood with fresh ideas.

In the Republican corner we have:

Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts. Mr. Romney is 63 years old, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and currently works giving keynote speeches and doing fundraising for the Republican party. Romney was a 2008 presidential candidate.

Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas. Mr. Huckabee is 55 years old, a member of the Southern Baptist Church, and currently works as the host of Huckabee on Fox News. Huckabee was a presidential candidate in 2008.

Sarah Palin, former governor of Alaska. Ms. Palin is 46 years old, a member of a non-denominational Christian church, and currently works as a reality TV show host and Fox News contributor. Palin was a vice presidential candidate in 2008.

Tim Pawlenty, governor of Minnesota. Mr. Pawlenty is 50 years old, and a member of the Baptist Church. Pawlenty has never run for president.

Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House. Mr. Gingrich is 67 years old, a member of the Roman Catholic Church, and currently works as Chairman, American Solutions for Winning the Future; and a college professor. Gingrich has never run for president.

Mitch Daniels, governor of Indiana. Mr. Daniels is 61 years old, and a member of the Presbyterian Church. Daniels has never run for president.

Donald Trump, real estate developer, and reality TV show star. Mr. Trump is 64 years old, a member of the Presbyterian Church, and currently works as Chairman and CEO of the Trump Organization. Trump has never run for president.

Michele Bachmann, congresswoman from Minnesota. Ms. Bachmann is 54 years old, and a member of the Lutheran Church. Bachmann has never run for president.

Ron Paul, a congressman from Texas. Mr. Paul is 75 years old, and a member of the Baptist Church. Paul ran for president in 1988 as a Libertarian and again in 2008 as a Republican.

These are just some of the potential candidates in 2012, this however, is not an exhaustive list. Some other notables are John Bolton, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Rick Santorum, former senator from Pennsylvania, and Jon Huntsman, former U.S. Ambassador to China, among others.

From first appearances, there does not seem to be a standout in this group strong enough to unseat our sitting president, Barack Obama. What we have is a diluted pool from which to choose from with not a single candidate as I see it, capable of winning.

With Republican candidates catering to select groups of constituents, such as the Tea Party, by Palin and Bachmann, and the religious right by candidate Huckabee to name a few, who is left to satisfy the majority of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents? I contend that there is no one in the Republican list that would be electable.

On the democratic side we have our current president, Barack Obama.

It would almost take an act of God to prevent Mr. Obama from being renominated by the Democrats. Based on his performance in office to date, I would be extremely hesitant to vote for President Obama.

If the Republicans are to have any chance of unseating Obama, they will have to field someone far stronger, more likable, and highly respected by the American public than those they are offering now. He or she will have to tackle and follow through on the issues that are most important to all citizens, such as unemployment, immigration, healthcare, taxes, and education, not just Republican issues. Candidates of both parties have always run on platforms that claim to address these issues, but once elected, they fall by the wayside and business in Washington carries on as usual.

The bottom line is that it appears we are going to have yet another election where we pick the lesser of two evils to be the leader of the free world. When our choices include reality TV show hosts, ultra-conservative talk show hosts, radical Tea Party-backed conservatives and smooth-talking left wing used car salesman, we as a nation are doomed.

If you are like me, you don’t see any hope of change in 2012 with the current pool of potential candidates, Republican or Democrat. When will we as Americans wake up and demand more from our elected officials, especially from our president.

Who would you like to see run in 2012?

Article first published as Election 2012: The Lesser of Two Evils — Again on Blogcritics.

Governor Mitch Daniels to sign bill defunding Planned Parenthood

(Associated Press) - NDIANAPOLIS – Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels said Friday he will sign restrictive abortion legislation, making Indiana the first state to cut off all government funding for Planned Parenthood and boosting Daniels' credentials among social conservatives as he considers whether to run for president.

Daniels said he supported the abortion restrictions from the outset and that the provision added to defund abortion providers did not change his mind. He said women's health, family planning and other services will remain available.

Governor Mitch Daniels

"The principle involved commands the support of an overwhelming majority of Hoosiers," Daniels said in a statement announcing his intention to sign the bill when it arrives on his desk in about a week.

Planned Parenthood of Indiana said in a statement it would file an injunction to "try to halt this alarming erosion of public health policy in our state."

Organization president Betty Cockrum said Daniels' decision to sign the bill was unconscionable and unspeakable.

"We will now suffer the consequences of lawmakers who have no regard for fact-based decision making and sound public health policy," she said.

The bill puts Indiana at risk of losing $4 million a year in federal family planning grants likely to be cut off because of the legislation. Daniels, known as a fiscal hawk, did not address the loss in his statement.

The bill wasn't part of Daniels' agenda and he did not publicly advocate for the Planned Parenthood provision, but signing it might help his chances of winning the GOP nomination. Daniels opposes abortion rights, but his call for a Republican "truce" on social issues has drawn the ire of the social conservatives.

Bill sponsor state Rep. Eric Turner, R-Cicero, said social conservatives will be happy with Daniels' decision.

"No one will talk about the truce," Turner said. "People in the conservative community care about action, and he's clearly the most pro-life governor in America with a signature on that bill."

State Rep. Linda Lawson, a Democrat from Hammond who opposes the bill, said the legislation wouldn't win Daniels any friends among independents and women.

"It might be a maneuver, but I don't know if it's in his best interest," Lawson said.

While some at the Statehouse thought Daniels' decision was a sign he'll be running for president, House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, said people shouldn't read too much into it. He said he thought the governor would likely sign the bill regardless of his future plans.

Planned Parenthood says the bill could leave as many as 22,000 patients without access to Pap tests, birth control and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.

The governor's office said the law will affect 7 entities in Indiana that have a total of 34 locations in 21 counties.

Daniels said he has ordered Indiana's Family and Social Services Administration to ensure Medicaid recipients receive prompt notice of nearby care options.

"We will take any actions necessary to ensure that vital medical care is, if anything, more widely available than before," Daniels said.

"Any organization affected by this provision can resume receiving taxpayer dollars immediately by ceasing or separating its operations that perform abortions."

Planned Parenthood of Indiana had urged Daniels to veto the bill and started a series of statewide rallies against it Friday.

Daniels, 62, has said he will decide on a run for president after the Indiana Legislature adjourns, which is expected Friday. He's also said he will not have a decision this weekend.

Gadhafi offers truce as NATO strikes in Tripoli

(Associated Press) - TRIPOLI, Libya – NATO bombs struck a Libyan government complex before dawn Saturday, damaging two buildings, just as Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi called for a cease-fire and negotiations with NATO powers in a live speech on state TV.

The targeted compound included the state television building, and a Libyan official alleged the strikes were meant to kill Gadhafi. "We believe the target was the leader," said government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim.

However, the TV building was not damaged, and Gadhafi spoke from an undisclosed location.

AP – Injured Libyan youth Abdul Salam, 10,
who suffers shrapnel wounds caused by the
shelling of his house 

Reporters visiting the scene of the strikes were told the damaged buildings housed a commission for women and children and offices of parliament staff. One of at least three bombs or missiles knocked down a huge part of a two-story Italian-style building. In another, doors were blown out and ceiling tiles dropped to the ground. A policeman said three people were wounded, one seriously.

Gadhafi, meanwhile, called for a cease-fire in a speech that was both subdued and defiant and lasted for more than an hour. "The door to peace is open," said the Libyan leader, sitting behind a desk and repeatedly flipping through handwritten notes. "You are the aggressors. We will negotiate with you," he said. "Come, France, Italy, U.K., America, come, we will negotiate with you. Why are you attacking us?"

He said Libyans have the right to choose their own political system, but not under the threat of NATO bombings.

"Why are you killing our children? Why are you destroying our infrastructure," he said, denying that his forces had killed Libyan civilians.

Rebel leaders have said they would only negotiate a truce after Gadhafi has stepped aside, something the Libyan leader has refused to do. The uprising against Gadhafi, Libya's ruler of 42 years, erupted in mid-February, and has claimed hundreds of lives. Rebels are controlling the east of the country, while Gadhafi has retained most of the west.

Just hours before the speech, Gadhafi's forces shelled the besieged rebel city of Misrata, killing 15 people, including a 9-year-old boy, hospital doctors said. The city of 300,000 is the main rebel stronghold in western Libya, and has been under siege for two months, with the port its only link to the outside.

On Friday, NATO foiled attempts by regime loyalists to close the only access route to Misrata, intercepting boats that were laying anti-ship mines in the waters around the port.

The Gadhafi regime signaled Friday that it is trying to block access to Misrata by sea.

Ibrahim, the Libyan official, said he was unaware of the attempted mine-laying. However, he said the government is trying to prevent weapons shipments from reaching the rebels by sea. Asked whether aid vessels would also be blocked, he said any aid shipments must be coordinated with the authorities and should preferably come overland.

Gadhafi's forces have repeatedly shelled the port area in the past. Libyan troops are deployed on the outskirts of Misrata, after having been driven out of the downtown area by the rebels last week.

Iran Suddenly Turns Silent As Protests Spread In Syria

(NPR) - Iran's government celebrated the popular uprisings first in Tunisia, then in Egypt, Bahrain and Yemen. But when protests began in Syria, Iran turned uneasy and uncertain.

Syrian anti-government protesters demonstrate in 
Banias on April 29, the "Day of Rage" called by activists 
to pile pressure on President Bashar Assad as 
his regime enacted a violent crackdown on dissent. 

Syria is one of Iran's few real allies in the Arab Middle East, and Tehran has carefully cultivated a relationship with the ruling Assad family for more than 30 years.

If Syria's President Bashar Assad falls, Iran can no longer count on Syria. And among other benefits, the Syrian connection is crucial for Iran's relationship with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Bruce Riedel, a Middle East analyst at the Brookings Institution's Saban Center, notes that for Iran, it is no longer a simple matter of praising the people in the streets and condemning their rulers.

"If the Syrian government is toppled, in a revolution like Egypt's or Tunisia's, Iran will be the big loser, and the Iranian intelligence services will have lost a key ally in their ability to project power in the Middle East," Riedel says.

Iran's Media Shuts Down Protest Coverage

Iran's news media have gone quiet on Syria, leaving Iranians to rely on satellite TV for coverage of the protests there. As the demonstrations in Syria have spread and hundreds of people have been shot, Iran's leaders have said next to nothing.

Haleh Esfandiari, the director of the Wilson International Center's Middle East program in Washington, says the Iranian leaders are at a loss — they simply cannot take up the cause of the Syrian protesters as they did with earlier Arab demonstrations.

"The best excuse is to blame it not on the grievances of the population but say that these are foreign-instigated uprisings by the Israelis and the Americans," Esfandiari says.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did just that in a speech a few days ago. He said that the enemy's conspiracy is to spur war between the nations and create Iranian-Arab and Shiite-Sunni tension. All of this is plotted by the United States and its allies, he said.

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Bahrain sentences 4 Shiite protesters to death

(CTV News) - DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A military court in Bahrain sentenced four Shiite protesters to death after convicting them on Thursday of killing two policemen during anti-government demonstrations last month, state media said.

Three other Shiite activists, who were also on trial, were sentenced to life in prison after they were convicted of playing a role in the policemen's deaths.

The verdicts -- which can be appealed -- were the first related to Bahrain's uprising. The kingdom's Shiite majority has long complained of discrimination and is campaigning for greater freedoms and equal rights in the tiny, Sunni-ruled island nation, which is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

Bahraini human rights groups blasted the verdict and said the trial, conducted in secrecy, had no legal credibility and was politically motivated.

A Bahraini man passes graffiti partly painted over by authorities
calling for the release of people detained during an
anti-government uprising in the northern Shiite Muslim
village of Diraz, Bahrain Friday, April 8, 2011. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

"This verdict is a message from the government, determined to stop the democracy movement," said Nabeel Rajab, head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights. "It's a warning saying 'this is how we will treat you if you continue to demand your rights.'"

Faced with unprecedented political unrest, Bahrain's king declared martial law and invited troops from Saudi Arabia and other Sunni-ruled Gulf countries to help quell Shiite dissent after weeks of street marches and bloody clashes in the capital Manama. At least 30 people have died since Feb. 15, when the anti-government protests erupted. Four opposition supporters have also died in police custody.

For Sunni Arabs rulers around the Gulf, Bahrain is seen as a critical showdown with Shiite powerhouse Iran. Arab leaders fear that any serious political gains by Bahrain's Shiites -- about 70 per cent of the population -- could open the door for greater influence by the Islamic Republic even though there is no history of close bonds between Iran and Bahraini Shiites.

Earlier this month, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council issued a strongly worded warning to Iran to stop "meddling" in their affairs. Bahrain this week expelled an Iranian diplomat.

Iran, in turn, has called the Saudi-led force an "occupation" and said it reserves the right to take further diplomatic action against Bahrain.

The seven opposition supporters sentenced Thursday were tried behind closed doors on charges of premeditated murder of government employees. In an earlier hearing this week, Bahrain state media said the military prosecutor presented evidence that showed the defendants killed the policemen intentionally by running them over with a car.

Their lawyers denied the charges.

International rights groups have expressed deep concern over the verdict that followed a trial of civilians in a military court, set up under emergency laws.

"This is very worrisome by the international standards for fair trials," said Malcolm Smart, a Middle East and North Africa director with Amnesty International.

The president of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, denounced the death sentences and called the closed-door trial "deplorable."

Foreign media was barred from the courtroom, but selected representatives from state-aligned media were allowed. Family members of the defendants also attended the trial.

A relative of one of the defendants sentenced to death, said there were no emotional outbursts in the courtroom when the verdicts were read.

"He was smiling when they said it, because he did not want us to cry," the relative said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of harassment by the authorities and of jeopardizing the appeal.

A report by the Bahrain News Agency said the defendants had "all their legal rights" during the trial for what it called "one of the most gruesome murders in Bahrain."

The report carried links to government-produced videos posted on YouTube, including clips of purported confessions of alleged accomplices describing the policemen's killings. They also included testimonials from alleged relatives of one of the slain policemen and a taxi driver killed in the unrest. The footage refers to demonstrators as "gangs of outlaws" and "beasts without mercy."

Hundreds of protesters, opposition leaders and human rights activists and Shiite professionals such as doctors and lawyers have been detained since emergency rule was declared March 15. Earlier this month, the authorities banned media from covering legal proceedings in the country's military courts.

Bahrain rarely uses capital punishment, and when it does it is usually applied to foreigners. After a decade-long moratorium on the death penalty, three Bangladeshi citizens were put to death in 2006, according to Amnesty International.

Another Bangladeshi man was executed last July after being convicted of premeditated murder.