Friday, February 8, 2013 at 1:39 | Scott Lucas in EA Live, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran Too many attacks --- this entry has been moved to the top of the page with the correct title, "Syria Live Coverage: Watching the Attack in Damascus".
Syria 
Nuclear Negotiators Catherine Ashton & Saeed JaliliIf diplomacy has not "run out", it will --- according to one "analyst". And then, according to another, it will be time to get the bombers ready to hit Iran's nuclear facilities.
It is this type of talk that has put Washington's consideration of the Iranian nuclear issue into a cul-de-sac. The US Government cannot possibly start from the premise of genuine talks because the Islamic Republic is not trustworthy.
So the conflict, at this point one of tense diplomacy but also one of economic punishment, drags on. So the conflict offers the "promise" that tense diplomacy and economic punishment can give way to the "military option".
Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 7:50 | Scott Lucas in Africa, EA Global, EA Live, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran See also Syria Live Coverage: The Insurgents Attack Inside Damascus
Wednesday's Mali (and Beyond) Live Coverage: France to Withdraw in March After Successful Military Operations?
1855 GMT: Palestine. A boy in his the rubble of his home, destroyed by an Israeli bulldozer:
1755 GMT: Palestine. A Palestinian court has sentenced a West Bank man, Anas Awwad, to a year in jail for "cursing the President" on Facebook.
Awwad's father said his son --- commenting on a picture of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas kicking a soccer ball during his visit to Barcelona Football Club in 2011 --- wrote, "The new striker in Real Madrid".
Happier Times: Head of judiciary Sadegh Larijani, President Ahmadinejad, Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani
See also Iran Opinion: Condemning the Nuclear Talks --- and Tehran --- with Ill-Informed Analysis
Wednesday's Iran Live Coverage: Nuclear Talks Resume on 26 February
2200 GMT: The House Arrests. Grand Ayatollah Mousavi Ardebili has reportedly clashed with the Supreme Leader over the house arrests of opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi.
Mousavi Ardebili visited Ayatollah Khamenei to demand the release of Mousavi and Karroubi, held for almost two years. Khamenei replied that they must obey velayat-e faqih [the rule of the Supreme Leader] and show regret for their actions over the disputed 2009 Presidential election in which they were candidates.
Mousavi Ardebili said that Mousavi and Karroubi had obeyed the rule of the late Ayatollah Khomeini and added that President Ahmadinejad's performance "has proven they are right". When Khamenei refused to shift in his position, the Grand Ayatollah left the meeting angrily.
Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 6:10 | James Miller in EA Live, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 2140 GMT: Someone is Arming the Rebels - Update. Yesterday, we published a separate article, Syria Analysis: Someone is Arming the Insurgents...and It's Working. Today, Brown Moses and I have seen much more evidence of this in action. A Free Syrian Army group from Daraa, the Ababil Horan Brigade, has moved from the south and have entered the Qadam district in southern Damascus. Not only this, but they are carrying with them M79 Osa anti-tank weapons, at least one RBG-6 grenade launcher, and at least one M60 recoilless rifle (which was spotted on February 3rd). In other words, multiple foreign-made weapons that we've written about in yesterday's article are all present, within the same group, and have all been deployed to attack Damascus as part of the new offensive.
This video reportedly shows the fighters, in a convoy, traveling to Al Qadam.
Ababil Houran entering Qadam on foot. Note the M79 carried by the soldier who hides his face:
Battle for Damascus, Harmala, Jobar, Syria See also Iran Audio Analysis: The Downfall of Ahmadinejad, The Resumption of Nuclear Talks --- Scott Lucas with the BBC and Monocle 24
Tuesday's Iran Live Coverage: Humiliation of Ahmadinejad Continues --- Advisor Mortazavi Arrested
2119 GMT:The Battle Within. Hamidreza Taraghi, a senior member of the conservative Motalefeh Party, hsa said that "the nezam [system] can bear Ahamadinejad, but has no problem with his dismissal either --- the,decision re bearing with him is with the Supreme Leader".
1819 GMT:Sanctions Watch. The US Treasury has sanctioned State broadcasters such as IRIB for helping the Government censor opposition.
The Treasury alsn named IRIB director Ezzatollah Zarghami in measures blocking access to the US financial system.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 12:24 | James Miller in EA Live, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran Fighting in Daraa city on Tuesday
See also Syria Analysis: Someone is Arming the Insurgents...and It's Working
Mali (and Beyond) Live Coverage: France to Withdraw in March After Successful Military Operations?
Tuesday's Syria Live Coverage: Minister of Defense "We Cannot Be Broken"
2200 GMT: Intense Fight in Damascus. Today's fighting near Jobar in northeast Damascus was intense. At the height of the battle, incoming artillery and mortar shells lit large parts of the city on fire, however, it is unclear who was firing what. What we do know is that by nightfall there was still fighting in parts of Damascus, and the battle lines, at least for the moment, have changed considerably.
A Syrian microblogger has collected dozens of videos of the fighting in a post. This video reportedly shows the early stages of the battle for the the Harmala checkpoint:
="0" allowfullscreen>Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 10:19 | James Miller in EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran A Free Syrian Army member fires an RPG-22 on 12 January in Busr al Harir in Daraa Province
While foreign weapons have been seen in Syria, we have not encountered them on this scale. All this suggests a new, organised, and well-funded effort is under way to ensure that "moderate" fighters are capturing territory and weakening the Assad regime.
It is too early to tell whether there are enough weapons to make a long-term impact. None of them be used as an effective counter to Assad's primary threat, his fighter jets. However, if this is an experiment to see a surge in armament makes a difference, the answer is clear.
I spoke with Monocle 24's The Briefing and BBC Radio 4's The World Tonight yesterday about the rush of developments from Iran --- the humiliation of President Ahmadinejad in Parliament, the arrest of his senior advisor Saeed Mortazavi, and the agreement to resume nuclear talks with the 5+1 Powers.
The BBC Radio 4 coverage begins at the 35:33 mark. My interview starts at 37:33.
The Monocle 24 interview ---- listen on The Briefing homepage or in a pop-out window --- begins at the 13:39 mark.
Take-away lines: "Ahmadinejad has effectively been removed as a political force. He is finished." ---- "This attack on Ahmadinejad was not just carried out by [Speaker of Parliament Ali] Larijani. It has the blessing of the Supreme Leader."
"We are not talking about a deal in the nuclear talks. What is significant is that, as long as the talks are alive, this keeps the military option off the table." --- "Sanctions can bring Iran to the table, but they cannot force an agreement."
"We now have to look to a different Iran, without Ahmadinejad on the scene."
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 9:31 | Jonathan Singerton in Africa, EA Global, EA Live, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran US Feature: Justice Department --- Yes, We Can Kill American Citizens Overseas with Drones
Syria Live Coverage: The Fight in Daraa Province
Tuesday's Israel, Palestine (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Israelis Arrest More than 20 Hamas Members in West Bank
2106 GMT: Bahrain. Opposition groups have "stressed the need to agree on the mechanism and the rules of the national dialogue" before the start of talks on Sunday.
"Agreeing on the mechanism before the dialogue starts would strengthen public trust in the dialogue," the groups, including leading society Al Wefaq, continued. This would "spare" Bahrain from the failure of the talks in the first round, a situation that would have unwanted "political and public implications."
The groups will write to the Justice Minister on Thursday to emphasise their position, renewing their request to meet him to agree over the mechanism of the dialogue.
The minister, Sheikh Khalid bin Ali al-Khalifa, announced on Monday that the dialogue would resume this weekend, after an earlier round failed to the bring the opposition on board.
