Bahrain (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Gulf States Hold a Summit in Manama

Police clash with protesters in Ma'ameer on Sunday night

See also Syria Live Coverage: "94 Killed" in Regime Airstrike on Bakery Queue
Sunday's Egypt (and Beyond) Live Coverage: A "Yes" for the Constitution --- But How Big?

---

2220 GMT: Bahrain. Claimed footage, which emerged tonight, of police beating and kicking a man in Al Eker this month:

1740 GMT: Bahrain. The Ministry of Interior has responded to the video of a policeman slapping a man, holding an infant, in A'ali on Sunday (see 1300 GMT).

An Assistant Undersecretary said the officer had been detained and referred to the police court while an investigation is launched.

1540 GMT: Saudi Arabia. Reports are circulating that writer Turki al-Hamad has been arrested today on orders from Minister of Interior Prince Mohammed bin Naif.

Al-Hamad, a political analyst and novelist, posted a series of controversial tweets on Saturday criticising Islamists who, he said, “have distracted us with nonsense that we forgot the important issue” He likened Islamism to Nazism, adding, “But the age of Nazism is long gone, and the sun will rise again.”

The tweet that seemed to rrovoke the strongest reaction from conservatives on Twitter was “Our Prophet has come to rectify the faith of Abraham, and now is a time when we need someone to rectify the faith of Mohammed"

1300 GMT: Bahrain. A policeman suddenly slaps the face of a man, carrying an infant, in A'ali on Sunday:

1143 GMT: Egypt. The head of the Judges Club, Ahmed El-Zend, was attacked by about 15 people last night as he left Club headquarters in downtown Cairo.

The group shouted insults and threw rocks at El-Zend. He suffered facial bruises and a cut under one of his eyes.

Twenty judges came out of the club and managed to arrest three of the attackers.

“These childish acts will not hurt us and we will fight these attempts to kidnap the nation,” El-Zend said in a press conference following the incident.

1123 GMT: Israel-Palestine. Human Rights Watch has declared, "Palestinian Rockets Unlawfully Targeted Israeli Civilians" during last month's Gaza War.

The organisation cited the Israeli military's figures that about 1500 rockets were fired at Israel between 14 and 21 November, with 800 landing in the country and 60 in populated areas.

Three Israelis were killed and 38 wounded in the attacks. At least two Palestinians in Gaza were slain by rockets that fell short.

Last week, Human Rights Watch criticised Israel for targeting journalists and media operations in airstrikes.

More than 180 Gazans were killed by Israeli operations during the eight-day war..

1023 GMT: Egypt. The Cairo Appeals Court has summoned journalist Ola El-Shafie and editor Khaled Salah for questioning after the Presidency filed a complaint accusing them of insulting President Morsi.

The complaint is over El-Shafie's article in the privately-owned Youm El-Sabae, edited by Salah, about the clashes that followed Morsi’s decree on 22 November attempting to expand his powers.

The journalist commented, “All those and many others who were injured, terrorised and attacked and beaten in the streets are more honourable and pure then these repulsive faces that we see repeat like parrots talk about legitimacy." He added, “A President does not kill, does not destroy a dream and does not send his group’s militias into the streets and squares of Egypt.”

El-Shafie said the Presidency responded with record speed, reacting only one day after the article was published: “This is the fastest complaint filed in a libel suit."

1013 GMT: Bahrain. Analyst Kristian Ulrichsen makes a telling comment about the Gulf Cooperation Council's meeting in Manama:

The irony of holding #GCC Summit in #Bahrain is that the regime destroyed the Pearl Roundabout, an iconic symbol marking Gulf unity/heritage

— Kristian Ulrichsen(@Dr_Ulrichsen) December 24, 2012

1000 GMT: Bahrain. Delegates from six Gulf States gather today in Manama for the 33rd Gulf Cooperation Council summit.

Talal al-Sheikh writes in Al Arabiya of the "backdrop of drastic changes accompanied by numerous challenges", such as the "need of a stronger regional formula" for economic progress. He notes that the long-delayed proposal for a unified Gulf currency is still "confined to closed meeting rooms". He adds:

Serious problems like poverty and unemployment need to be addressed and money needs to be made available. 

It's also important to tackle the demographic imbalance resulting from the fact that foreign labor has exceeded native population in several member states. 

 Al-Sheikh notes, "The GCC needs to prove that it is capable of facing the threats to which the region is subjected and to maintain security and stability," but given the setting of the summit, there's a notable omission: the article does not refer at all to the on-going protests and clashes in Bahrain.

Footage from Ma'ameer last night (see top of entry) offers an example of what the GCC might have noted.