Syria, Libya (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Standing Down

View LccSy: Syria Protests June 17, 2011 ‎ in a larger map Activists records a map of today's protests in Syria.

See also Syria Video Special: The Latest from Friday's Protests

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1655 GMT: Anthony Shadid summarises for The New York Times:

Tens of thousands of protesters poured into the streets of Damascus’s suburbs and three of Syria’s five largest cities on Friday, in a weekly show of defiance against President Bashar al-Assad. Activists said at least 19 people were killed.

Security forces fired on protesters in Homs, one of Syria most restive locales, and the police and protesters fought in Deir al-Zour, a large city in the east. But thousands were permitted to demonstrate in Kiswa, a town south of Damascus and carry banners that read, “Leave!” and “The people want the fall of the regime.”

Some opposition figures had speculated that the government might try to bring down the weekly death toll, which surged past 100 on one Friday, in anticipation of a speech Mr. Assad is expected to give as early as Sunday. Syrian officials have portrayed the address as significant, though many in the opposition said their expectations were low.

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Saudi Arabia Follow-Up: Manal al-Sharif Forced to Quit Women2Drive Campaign

Yesterday we reported that Manal al-Sharif, who not only defied Saudi Arabia's ban on women driving but also posted a YouTube video of herself behind the wheel to inspire others, had been released after nine days in detention.

Now it appears that the price for al-Sharif's freedom is her promise of self-imposed silence.

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Saudi Video and Poster: Manal al-Sharif "We Can Do It. We Can Drive."

Last week, we featured Manal al-Sharif, the Saudi woman who challenged Saudi Arabia's ban on females driving and to put up a YouTube video of her defiance, inviting others to follow her example.

Today an English-language version of the video and a poster in support of al-Sharif, updating the US "Rosie the Riveter" campaign of World War II.

Arab Spring Feature: Britain Trains Saudi National Guard in Tactics for Bahrain (Doward/Stewart)

Saudi Arabian Units in BahrainBritain is training Saudi Arabia's national guard – the elite security force deployed during the recent protests in Bahrain – in public order enforcement measures and the use of sniper rifles. The revelation has outraged human rights groups, which point out that the Foreign Office recognises that the kingdom's human rights record is "a major concern".

In response to questions made under the Freedom of Information Act, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed that British personnel regularly run courses for the national guard in "weapons, fieldcraft and general military skills training, as well as incident handling, bomb disposal, search, public order and sniper training". The courses are organised through the British Military Mission to the Saudi Arabian National Guard, an obscure unit that consists of 11 British army personnel under the command of a brigadier.

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Islam and Women Videos: Manal al-Sharif, Arrested by Saudi Arabia for Driving

UPDATE 1220 GMT: Manal al-Sharif has reportedly been sentenced to five days in prison for bypassing rules and regulations, driving a car within the city, enabling a journalist to interview her while driving a car, deliberately disseminating the incident to the media, inciting Saudi women to drive cars, and turning public opinion against the regulations.

Al-Sharif's lawyer has not confirmed the sentence.

Human rights activist Waleed Abu Alkhair, has posted a petition to King Abdullah on al-Sharif's behalf.

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Saudi Arabia Opinion: "Why I Am Boycotting the Elections" (al-Guwaifli)

I believe the elections deserve to be boycotted because they are not serious enough, because they are preposterous, and because their results don’t really affect my life. I boycott the only elections in Saudi Arabia because at this moment and more than anytime before, I want democracy, and the way I see it is through a fully elected parliament with a legislative authority and powers of oversight and accountability. I’m boycott the municipal elections because they mock my dreams.

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Bahrain: US Secretary of Defense Gates Forgets to Ask About The Repression

If true, this passage from US Secretary of State Robert Gates' account of his meeting on Wednesday with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is telling:

SEC. GATES: We had a very good meeting. We met for about an hour and a half, one-on-one. It was an extremely cordial warm meeting. I think the relationship is in a good place. We talked about developments all over the region. We obviously talked about Iran....

Q. Did you talk about the Saudi troops in Bahrain? Did you raise that as an issue?

SEC. GATES: No.

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Libya (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Breakthrough?

1820 GMT: The Egyptian stock market has rised for a second day in a row, after almost two months of suspension and then a sharp fall on re-opening last week.

The EGX 30 Index rose 0.8% to 5,251.3 at the close. It has fallen 26% this year amidst the uprising against the Mubarak regime.

1715 GMT: British Tornado jets attacked and destroyed regime ammunition bunkers in the Sabha area of the southern desert early Monday.

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Libya (and Beyond) LiveBlog: A No-Fly Zone....And More

2055 GMT: Libya's Deputy Foreign Minister has said that the regime has asked Turkey, Malta, and China to send observers to monitor a cease-fire, denying reports that attacks on the opposition were continuing: "The armed forces are respecting [the cease-fire] and will protect civilians."

2010 GMT: Al Jazeera English summarises King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia's carrot-and-stick in his televised speech.

The King decreed that media must not criticise clerics and praised security forces for blocking protests, "You are the hitting hand against whoever considers undermining the nation's security and stability." He also thanked Saudis for not taking to the streets: "I am so proud of you. Words are not enough to describe you. You are the safety valve of this nation and you struck at that which is wrong with the truth and at treachery with loyalty."

Sweeteners in the King's speech included $66.7bn would be spent on 500,000 housing units, $4.3bn on more medical facilities, an extra $40m for private hospitals, an additional two months' wages for all government workers, and two extra payments for university students worth around $500.

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Bahrain Feature: Saudi Arabia's Slap in the Face of the US

The Saudi intervention, however small, is therefore a major step backward for the region. It represents a major slap in the face to the United States, a defeat for the liberal Shiite and Sunni elements in Bahrain, and ultimately a catastrophe for the entire Khalifa family, both the liberal and conservative wings, who may have just surrendered their power to the giant next door.

Ultimately, this may also be a defeat for Saudi Arabia as well. The Saudis have long tried to avoid overt interventions in their neighbors' affairs. They intervened once during the 1994 upheavals in Bahrain and in the past two years have been active on the Yemeni border -- but under King Abdullah they have tried to arbitrate, rather than dominate, events on the Arabian Peninsula. Their decision to intervene directly in Bahrain's affairs suggests a weakness in the Saudi leadership and Riyadh's surrender to the more conservative elements in the country.

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