Syria Wired: The Latest from Social Media and EA's Readers

Our recurring feature in which EA readers use the Comments section to bring in the latest news and thoughts from social media....

Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: "A Divided and Dangerous City"

State TV footage of scene of this morning's double explosion in Syrian capital Damascus (see 0655 GMT)

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2130 GMT: Palestine. An official with Palestinian prisoners' rights group Addameer has said that Israel's prison service has offered to ease restrictions on Palestinian prisoners in a bid to end a mass hunger strike.

About 1,600 Palestinian prisoners are fasting to protest administrative detention, under which Israel can hold people indefinitely without charge. They are also challenging solitary confinement, detention without charge and restrictions on family visits, education, and other privileges.

Two of those protesting, Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahla, are on th 72nd day of hunger strikes.

The Addameer official said, after a meeting on Wednesday night in Nafha Prison between the Prison Service and leaders of the hunger strike, "There might be a positive response in the next few days." She said the Prison Service "agreed to allow visits for families from Gaza" and to revoke a range of restrictions on prisoners, including a ban on education and other privileges. She added that an agreement on moving prisoners out of solitary confinement was also on the table.

Prison Service spokeswoman Sivan Weizman confirmed the Nafha meeting, saying it was part of an ongoing process of consultations between detainees and a committee examining prison conditions.

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Turkey Live Coverage (9 May): Kurds, Syria, Iraq, and the EU

1800 GMT: The Humanitarian Aid Association (İHH) says Iranian officials helped in determining the whereabouts of the two missing Turkish journalists in Syria.

1645 GMT: Speaking to reporters after the three-hour meeting, Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek said the drafting process would commence on Thursday. Political parties will create a catalogue of basic rights and freedoms on Thursday. He said: “The first step of this process is [to determine] basic rights and freedoms."

1625 GMT: In its the U.S.-Turkey Relations: A New Partnership report, the Independent Task Force of Council on Foreign Relations says that "Turkey may not yet have the status of one of Washington's traditional European allies but there is good strategic reason for the bilateral relationship to grow and mature into a mutually beneficial partnership that can manage a complex set of security, economic, humanitarian, and environmental problems." 

1600 GMT: Diyarbakir Dicle University's Rector Aysegul Jale Sarac complained about the insufficient number of academic personnel in the region and showed the 'label of terrorism' for professors' not choosing the eastern part of the country. 

1545 GMT: In response to speculations whether Tariq al-Hashemi will be returned to Iraq, deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said that they would not return someone they had given support to. 

1420 GMT: A specialist corporal was killed when he stepped on a land mine in a rural area of the province of Tunceli. An air-backed operation began immediately. 

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Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: "Last Chance to Avoid Civil War"?

2001 GMT: Syria. The most important factor to consider in Syria is the large and energized opposition, most of which has remained peaceful, but firmly in favor of the fall of the regime:

large protest in Izzaz, Aleppo province chanting "the people want to execute Bashar" youtube.com/watch?v=NgVlje… #Syria

— edward dark (@edwardedark) May 9, 2012

1950 GMT: Egypt. An administrative court in Cairo has banned the Presidential elections scheduled for May 23-24, "citing doubts over the constitutionality of a law banning former regime figures from participating in political life, said the website of the state-run daily Al-Ahram."

The initial headline is a shock, but at least one Middle East expert suggests that the news is not as important as it seems, as it is a non-binding decision by a lower court:

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Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Knowns Beyond the Unknowns of the Elections

See also Syria Video Feature: Having Fun with the "Elections"
Israel Feature: Netanyahu and Opposition Agree "Unity Government"
Bahrain Live Coverage: Countering the Regime's Allegations Against Nabeel Rajab
Monday's Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Elections Today --- Sham or Substance?

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2007 GMT: Libya. The Libyan judiciary has begun its first civilian trial of alleged supporters of the Qaddafi regime, with five defendants accused of planning to create instability by "terrorist acts".

Ali Ashaab Mohammed, the head of the court, said the men had been arrested in Zawiyah, just west of the capital Tripoli: "Today's case ... is about a group of former regime loyalists ... They were planning to conduct terrorist acts and create instability in the country, as well as carrying weapons. Some of them confessed that they took part in fighting battles in some areas."

1954 GMT: Syria. Amid reports of gas shortages, people queue up to fill canisters in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta:

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Syria Video Feature: Having Fun with the "Elections"

While we were considering on Monday whether Syria's Parliamentary elections were "sham" or "substance", some inside the country were taking a more satirical approach through their own "votes":

In Aleppo Province, "voters" line up in a dusty road to select from a range of cartoon candidates while boys provide security with their pool cues:

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Turkey Live Coverage (7 May): Kurds and Syrians At The Top of The Agenda

1825 GMT: Two PKK members were killed by Turkish forces in the province of Siirt.

1700 GMT: According to some experts, the new election results in Armenia, Greece and France have pros and cons for Turkey. 

As Socialist leader François Hollande wins in France, Paris is expected to have a different approach than Sarkozy's on Turkey's EU accession process. However, as Galatasaray University's professor Beril Dedeoglu says, his expectations on democratization, human rights and transparency of Turkey will be higher. In case of strong opposition from Ankara, the bilateral relations are likely to be damaged.

In Greece, many experts do not expect another friction since the economic crisis is likely to be at the top of the agenda. And, in Armenia, the current status quo in relations is likely to be preserved since Sarkasyan won the elections again. 

1620 GMT: Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag says the Presidential system shall be discussed during the new constitution making process.

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Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Elections Today --- Sham or Substance?

2046 GMT: Syria. It's too late to get accurate reports of casualties, but even at this late hour there are reports of gunfire, and many injuries, in both Aleppo and in Tafas, in Daraa province. This video, shared by the LCCS but posted by a Youtube account that we are not familiar with, reportedly shows the gunfire in Tafas tonight.

1943 GMT: Syria. Whether the elections were well-attended or not (see previous update) or whether they are rigged or not, the head of the UN, Ban Ki-moon, doesn't believe that they should have taken place without the Syrian government taking the lead and abiding by the ceasefire:

"Only a comprehensive and inclusive political dialogue can lead to a genuine democratic future in Syria," Ban said through his spokesperson Martin Nesirky. "These elections are not taking place within that framework.

"Moreover, a democratic process cannot be successful while violence is still ongoing," he added.

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Syria Feature: US Officials --- No Hope for Cease-fire So "Time To Consider a New Approach"

Last Tuesday, EA's James Miller, in "Sorting Out The Truth Beyond Car Bombs and Ceasefires", wrote bluntly, "This practice is perpetrating the myth that there is a solution to the crisis beyond either intervening or letting Syria decay into civil war. There isn't. Syria is ugly, and it won't get any prettier any time soon." The Friday before that, we asked --- drawing from Miller and Josh Rogin of "The Cable" blog of Foreign Policy --- "Is the US Preparing for Intervention?"

Putting 2 and 2 together, we think "4" might be in this story put out by US officials through The Washington Post on Sunday: the cease-fire will not take hold so it is "time to consider a new approach".

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Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Elections Amid the Protests

Saturday night in the Damascus suburb of Douma, after the visit of United Nations observers (see 0855 GMT)

Bahrain Live Coverage: Prominent Activist Nabeel Rajab Arrested
Saturday's Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: "Time to Call It What It Is"

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2050 GMT: Syria. A protest in Talbiseh tonight:

1940 GMT: Syria. For the first time, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has met with Syrian refugees, speaking to them near the border town of Kilis in southeastern Turkey.

"You are getting stronger each passing day," Erdogan said. "Your victory is not far....Bashar [President Assad] is losing blood each passing day,""

About 23,000 Syrians are estimated to now be in Turkish camps, having fled since the start of the uprising in March 2011.

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