Bahrain Analysis: Are Sunni Groups Moving Away from the Regime? (Gengler)

Sunni Rally at Al Fatah Mosque, 16 DecemberThe prospect that Bahrain's three Sunni Islamic societies --- representing the Muslim Brotherhood, Salafis, and Sunni nationalists in the NGU --- might attempt to coordinate their political programs must be more than a little unsettling to the Al Khalifa ruling family. With a Shi'a-led opposition the state knows how to deal; concerted political mobilization among Bahraini Sunnis is a much more novel --- and more dangerous --- development.

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Syria, Egypt, Bahrain (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Beyond a "Return" to Protest

Egyptian military drag, and disrobe a female protester

See also Bahrain Video Special: The Police Attack Protesters at Budaiya
Friday's Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: The Beat Goes On --- Anticipating Friday's Protests

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2100 GMT: One Egyptian soldier beats a protester while another soldier wields a handgun:

2005 GMT: An EA source is reporting another death from the activities of the security forces in Bahrain. Abdali Al Mawaly, a 58-year-old man, suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation in Mugsha village on Friday and died this evening. People are now gathered around his house.

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Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: "Bring Your Tanks Here"

A crowd in Al Bab chants, in sympathy with the besieged residents of Syria's third-largest city, "We are a Part of Homs, Bring Your Tanks Here"

See also, Syria 1st-Hand Video: Activist Rami al-Jarrah (Alexander Page) Tells His Story

Syria Video Feature: Challenging Assad...With Puppets (Marrouch)

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2205 GMT: While the LCCS reports that 21 civilians have been killed by Syrian security forces, the UN Human Rights chief, Navi Pillay, was reporting that the death toll has likely eclipsed 5000 since the start of the conflict.

More than 14,000 people are estimated to have been detained and 12,400 have fled into neighboring countries, Pillay was to say, according to details of her briefing to the Security Council obtained by AFP.

Today's deaths were reported in Homs, Hama, the Damascus suburbs of Douma and Kanaker, and Idlib. Beyond this, we've seen evidence of intense fighting near Daraa, and more evidence of a military assault against Dael and the city of Daraa.

But the protests have also continued. While there are reports of protests in many cities that we've come to expect, there are also unconfirmed reports of protests in Aleppo.

Just another night in Syria.

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Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: The Spread of the Deaths

A rally in Homs in Syria last night

See also Oman Feature: A Not-Quite-So-Quiet Arab State
Thursday's Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: "Did This Rocket Fall from Outer Space?"

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0150 GMT: The Bahraini Ministry of Interior is now trying to explain how its policemen were not responsible for the attack on the house and car of the head of the Al-Wefaq opposition party, Sheikh Ali Salman, blaming protesters while shifting attention from authorities:. Here's the lengthy statement in full from the Ministry of Interior's website: 

The General Director of Northern Governorate Police has announced that at around 10:55 PM on Thursday around 60 individuals went into illegal procession in Bilad Al Qadeem with the aim to block roads and hinder traffic flow. They were also involved in vandalism, rioting and hurling Molotov cocktails and stones at policemen. This led to the interference of police forces to disperse them and reopen the roads by shooting tear gas and sound shoots. 

In regard of what was circulated by some individuals through social media websites claiming that the house and car of the General Secretary of Al Wefaq National Islamic Society were damaged by policemen, the General Director explained that vandals were 50 meters away from the house and there was a distance of around 50 meters between vandals and policemen, hence they were around 100 meters away from the house. Policemen used teargas and sound shoots and both are hurled by hand, so it is difficult for them to reach to the house and the car that was next to it. The shell...that was found inside the car is a [shell] that is hurled by the hand as it is shown in the image. 

He added that the concerned team moved to the scene, while no complaint was reported by those affected by the incident and that explains that those who created the damages bear the responsibility of what they did.

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Bahrain 1st-Hand: Saturday's Opposition Rally in Al Hajar for the "Arab Uprisings"

An EA correspondent was at Saturday's mass rally, organised by leading opposition parties, in Al Hajar in Bahrain:

The theme of the protest was the "Arab Spring", with flags of all the countries of the Arab uprisings in the arena. The event started with two short anthemsperformed by a band, the first for the Egyptian Revolution and the second for all the Arab uprisings.

A short recorded speech by the detained opposition leader Ebrahim Sharif --- given on January during a protest in front of the Egyptian embassy in Bahrain --- was broadcast. This was followed by a speech by Sheikh Ali Salman, the Secretary General of the Al Wefaq party, a speech which was stronger than that given to previous gatherings....

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Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) LiveBlog: A Showdown Looms?

Residents of Sanabis in Bahrain clear up the debris after security forces went through the village

See also Bahrain Video: The Police Attacks on the Women and Men of Sanabis
Wednesday's Syria, Bahrain, Yemen (and Beyond) LiveBlog: A Libyan-Style Civil War?

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2003 GMT: The leader of the transitional government in Libya, Mahmoud Jabril, will not be part of the permanent government, the formation of which will be delayed until the conflict is over:

Asked at a news conference in Tripoli about the timetable for the government's announcement, Jibril said: "I hope that soon we will free Sirte and Bani Walid to begin negotiations on the formation of the transitional government, of which I will not be a part."

1953 GMT: A source in Bahrain informs us that there were protests in 25 villages today, including Sanabis, Al Eker, Karbabad, Nabih-Saleh, Al Dair, Barbar, Bani-Jamra, North & South Sehla, Jabalat-Habashi, Saddad, Bori, A'ali, Salmabad, Nuwaidrat, Alma'ameer, Al Juffair, Tubli, and Al Mugsha. In Sitra, there were protests in Al Qarya, Al Kharjia, Wadyan, Mhaza, Sufalah, and Markkuban. Below is a map of the protests:

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Bahrain Feature: An Opposition Leader, Sheikh Ali Salman, Spreads His Message on Twitter

Sheikh Ali Salman the head of the Al Wefaq Political and Islamic Society, the leading "opposition party" in Bahrain, He is not only spreading the message through appearances in the country but through Twitter. A selection of his recent messages:

The Arab Spring revolutions including Bahrain are dignity revolutions, and people demand that they not be marginalised in their country, where one leader decides how they should live.

Because the transformation to a democracy didn't happen, Bahraini political and human rights crises will continue to be present.

People will not be convinced by talks and promises, they will not go back to their homes empty-handed, the movement will continue..., and we will witness more arrests and unfair trials.

I said it before, and will repeat it now, we do not want the bad effect on the economy to continue, but the negative impact will continue because of the absence of a political solution.

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