Syria, Yemen (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Postures of "National Dialogue"

1155 GMT: Thanks to James Miller for stepping in for a bit.

A couple of quotes, from those opposition figures who did attend, to flesh out the sketch of Syria's "national dialogue" talks that we offered in our first entry (see 0310 GMT)....

Mohammad Habash, an independent MP, said, "The way out is by putting an end to the security stateand to work for a civil and democratic country where there is political pluralism and media freedom and to end the one-party rule. Confronting protests with bullets is not acceptable at all."

And dissident writer Tayyeb Tizini asserted, "The bullets are still being fired in Homs and Hama. I would have hoped that that would have stopped before the meeting. That's what's necessary."

1130 GMT: Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh has met with US envoy John Brennan in Saudi Arabia. Yemeni State Television has released this video, where Saleh can be seen with his hands still bandaged. According to the State Department, Brennan pushed Saleh to sign the GCC transition plan.

1123 GMT: The AFP is carrying a compelling story about nearly 7000 people who moved to Syria, fleeing Iraqi violence, but have been forced to return to Iraq because of the unrest in Syria.

1118 GMT: The Libyan rebels have accused Algeria of supporting the Gaddafi regime. According to the rebels, the Algerian airforce supported the Libyan air raids in the early days of the war, and Algeria has supplied 4x4 trucks and equipment that is still in use against the rebels.

The rebels demanded a halt to the support. The Algerian government has not yet commented, but is generally supportive of African Union initiatives that have not sought the recognition of the National Transitional Council.

1112 GMT: Colonel Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, has reportedly entered direct talks with the French government, but is refusing to negotiate with the rebels. al-Islam told the al-Khabar newspaper that an agreement could be reached with the French government:

"Our envoy to (Nicolas) Sarkozy said that the French president was very clear and told him 'We created the (rebel)council, and without our support, and money, and our weapons, the council would have never existed.'"

"France said: 'When we reach an agreement with you (Tripoli), we will force the council to cease fire'."

1105 GMT: James Miller here to make a few updates. He will also be on the road for much of the day...

Overnight, the Syrian military deployed tanks and armored vehicles through the streets of Homs, conducting a series of raids and opening fire on people in the street. At least one person way killed and 20 were injured in the attacks. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that people were taking shelter in homes as machine guns opened fire.

0815 GMT: While the Syrian regime proclaims "national dialogue", its troops carried out raids in Homs and Hama overnight, according to residents.

The security forces reportedly killed at least one civilian and injured 20 in Homs in an assault backed by armoured vehicles and tanks. One resident of the Bab Sbaa district said, "Military raids and house to house arrests have become routine after protests, but this time they did not stop shooting all night in the main neighbourhoods.

In Hama, 50 kilometres (30 miles) to the north, security forces mounted house-to-house arrests and shooting was heard, but there were no immediate reports of casualties, activists said.

0420 GMT: As the sit-in protest continues in Tahrir Square in Cairo, challenging Egypt's rulers over reform and justice, the "revolution barber" carries out his task:

0320 GMT: Clips of overnight protests in sections of Damascus:

0310 GMT: The Assad regime hosted its first meeting for "national dialogue" yesterday in Damascus. Very little of substance, as opposed to rhetoric, emerged. State news agency SANA focused on the pronouncements of Vice President Farouk al-Shara of the "not so comfortable atmosphere...an atmosphere of uncertainty and distrust, of rejection and worry", due to foreign instigation of unrest. Others in the meetings were reduced to "participants" --- not one was named --- who declared "adherence to the national approach of the Syrian leadership which supports resistance and rejects the Zionist project, which is a consensus point for all parties".

Foreign media added little information about the talks, which continue today. Al Jazeera English also had no hames or remarks of those who accepted invitations. Instead, a correspondent summarised, "We heard very harsh statements in that room, even by people who are pro-government. Some said that the security system has to be dismantled. These are major transformations, for people to speak about, and covered by state television."

Posturing of a different kind over Yemen, as President Saleh, still recovering from burns and shrapnel wounds in a Saudi hospital, met John Brennan, the head of counter-terrorism for the Obama Administration. The White House issued a statement that Saleh had been urged to accept the Gulf Co-operation Council plan for a transition of power --- a plan that the President and his allies effectively ground into the dust two months ago --- Saleh sent a letter via Brennan to President Obama, thanking him for "his kind and sincere feelings and for US support for the unity, security and stability of Yemen".

The meeting took place as Yemeni security forces, using live bullets, tear gas, knives, and baton, injured more than 100 protesters in the city of Hodeidah (see Sunday's LiveBlog for report and videos).

Saleh later gave a speech on Yemeni national television, his second since he departed for Saudi Arabia.