Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The "Terrorists" on the Streets

Friday's protest rally in Bahrain

See also Palestine Feature: Communications Minister Resigns Over Blocking of Websites
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Friday's Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Just Another Protest Friday?
Friday's Syria Wired: The Latest from Social Media and EA's Readers

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2235 GMT: We're taking a Saturday night break --- back at 0600 GMT on Sunday with the latest news from North Africa and the Middle East.

1718 GMT: Iraq. A Bahraini activist is reporting that human rights defender Said Yousif and former MP Sayed Hadi Al Mosawi, detained earlier today during a march in Manama (see 1525 and 1607 GMT), have been released.

1700 GMT: Iraq. Wladimir van Wilgenburg passes on reports of closed-door meetings today in Erbil in Kurdistan between Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani, Iraqiyya Party leader Iyad Allawi, and leading Shia politician Moqtada al-Sadr to discuss political tension over the national government.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, embroiled in a number of disputes with other prominent politicians, was not present.

Van Wilgenburg evaluates that the session indicates that Talabani's opinion might not be that different from that of Barzani, despite earlier reports of points of disagreement. In contrast, Sadr met with al-Maliki in Iran before heading to Kurdistan, and a Sadrist spokesperson said they would not discuss withdrawing confidence from the Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, Iraqiyya list member Salih al-Mutlaq, despite his opposition to al-Maliki, criticized Barzani's call for a referendum in September for Kurdish independence.

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Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Shelling of Homs Continues

Another video of the shelling of the Bab Amro section of the Syrian city Homs this morning:

See also EA's Separate Bahrain Coverage, Bahrain Live Coverage Special: The Anniversary Protests
Syria Opinion: Who Are the Real Opposition?
Bahrain Special: "Responsible Reaction"--- How Police Will "Kettle" Today's Demonstrations
Monday's Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: "The Reasonable Reaction to Provocation"

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2203 GMT: At this late hour there are unconfirmed reports that Al Bukamal, in northeastern Syria on the Iraq border, is under attack. According to one activist, Al Jazeera's Arabic network is also reporting the assault. The city is being defended by the Free Syrian Army, and clashes have been ongoing since earlier in the day, but the fresh reports suggest that they are now more intense.

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Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: A Message to President Obama

2054 GMT: This video was reportedly taken in Musayfira, Daraa today, where the people chanted, "Your silence is killing us, we have no one but God," and "The people want the execution of the President."

We don't know if Arab League observers saw this specific rally, but a video posted by a prominent blogger shows an old woman speaking to one of the observers, reportedly in Musayfira.

2040 GMT: Where is the teargas in Bahrain? Initial reports were that it was on the Country Mall roundabout, on Budaya Highway. However, a contact in Sanad village says that he can smell the gas, and that roundabout is very far away (general map of area). Teargas is also reported at the Buri Roundabout in Hamad Town, across the island.

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Syria Feature: Fog of War --- How Many Defectors Died on Monday?

Fighter in Free Syrian Army (Sezayi Erken/AFP/Getty)There were two important developments in Syria on Monday. The day started with a large protest in the central Midan district of Damascus, the opposition's test the regime's promise to meet the Arab League's demand for reforms. The regime failed that test, opening fire on one of the largest protests in Damascus in months and killing up to three people.

By the end of the day, however, this headline was eclipsed by others: as many as 48 civilians had died nationwide, and 70 (or 72) soldiers had been killed in Jebel al Zawiya in Idlib Province in the northwest, as they tried to defect. The combined total of deaths, reported by some activists,would make Monday one of the bloodiest days of the crisis.

By late Monday night, however, a series of controversies had arisen. Neither the Local Coordinating Committees of Syria nor the Free Syrian Army nor any of EA's contacts had any direct knowledge of the defectors. Indeed, we were wary of the report because it did not come through traditional sources. EA's earlier note that a source had spoken to one of the defectors, was a misunderstanding --- the source had read an account from the original source, the Syrian Revolution General Commission. In-fighting began to set in, as some activists doubted the validity of the claims.

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Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: More Die as Embassies Are Stormed

Police clash with protesters after breaking up a march in Nabeeh Saleh in Bahrain on Friday night

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1955 GMT: One protester was killed and 12 others injured on Sunday when Egyptian security forces clashed with protesters staging a sit-in for the sixth day against the expansion of the MAPCO-Agrium fertilizer plant in Damietta.

Confrontations began on Saturday night and continued into early Sunday morning, with security forces using tear gas bombs to disperse protesters.

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Syria Snap Analysis: "This Regime Crackdown Cannot Be Sustained"

Footage from inside a tank, as it destroys the minaret of a mosque in Deir Ez Zor in the northeast

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Assad's strategy of killing away his opposition has not worked, a lesson brought out by the events of yesterday. That opposition is not going anywhere, and i seems that every region of the country is now a hotbed of dissent. The President may not be ready to fall, but all hopes he ever had of putting Arab Spring in the rear-view mirror seem to be fading quickly.

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Libya, Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Closing In on Qaddafi's Hometown

2018 GMT: Al Arabiya, Sky News, and our earlier report seem to be all leaning on a single source that Khamis Qaddafi has been killed. Andy Carvin asks, and we echo, where is the body? Why the rush to bury him? Are there pictures? Video? DNA samples?

The outside world has been burned by these sorts of reports before. During the fall of Tripoli, there were multiple reports, from sources inside the NTC, that many of Qaddafi's sons were detained. Those reports turned out to be false, and the only reliable report, that Mohammed Qaddafi was captured, was undone by his escape.

So far, we remain skeptical.

1911 GMT: Al Jazeera provides us this update, details on the claimed killing of Qaddafi's son and military commander, Khamis Qaddafi:

Khamis Gaddafi, Muammar Gaddafi's son, was killed in a battle between Tarhoni and Bin Walid on Sunday, according to a rebel commander in Tripoli who spoke to Al Arabiya.

Senior rebel officer, Colonel Al-Mahdi Al-Haragi, in charge of the Tripoli Brigade of the rebel army, told the Reuters news agency he had confirmation that Khamis was badly wounded in the clash near Ben Walid and Tarhoni.

He was taken to a hospital but died of his wounds and was buried in the area, Al-Haragi told Reuters, without giving the timing.

No independent confirmation of the death was available.

1900 GMT: A very safe, very dry James Miller finally has internet access, and so is able to update the readers on two major developments in Libya...

The first development is that Algerian Foreign Minister is claiming that Muammar Qaddafi's wife, daughter, two of his sons, and their children have crossed over the border into Algeria:

The Egyptian news agency MENA, quoting unidentified rebel fighters, had reported from Tripoli over the weekend that six armored Mercedes sedans, possibly carrying Gadhafi's sons or other top regime figures, had crossed the border at the southwestern Libyan town of Ghadamis into Algeria. Algeria's Foreign Ministry had denied that report.

Ahmed Jibril, an aide to rebel National Transitional Council head Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, said if the report of Ghadafi relatives in Algeria is true, "we will demand that Algerian authorities hand them over to Libya to be tried before Libyan courts."

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Libya, Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Rotting Bodies, Beaten Protesters

Ali Ferzat, a Syrian cartoonist who was beaten by masked gunmen earlier this week. 

See Also, Statement on Syria by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Social Media Revolution (Qualman)

Friday's Liveblog: Libya, Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: The State of the Uprisings

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1700 GMT: Disturbing video footage. A doctor is reportedly taking a bullet off a man's arm who was wounded during the clash in the Rifai mosque.

1655 GMT: Gaddafi's recruited African mercenaries have started leaving Libya.

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Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Yesterday's Conflict

2017 GMT: This video, allegedly taken in Hama, shows men in a tank firing into the city. Though we never see the targets they shoot at, the note on the video is that none of the soldiers appear to be taking cover, and the soldiers outside the tank appear to be relaxed, suggesting that their target was unarmed.

We cannot verify the video.

2011 GMT: There are now reports of heavy gunfire in the Zamalka suburb of Damascus.

1959 GMT: A reliable activist has this report from Inkhil, Daraa (MAP):

Heavy gunfire in an attempt to disperse a massive demonstration that set off a short time ago from the Sa'ad Mosque

Foru people have also reportedly been injured when security opened fire on protesters in the Damascus suburb of Madaya, as a march was leaving the Shamali Mosque.

1954 GMT: Protests are also reported in the Douma District of Damascus. This video shows the scene after Taraweeh prayers:

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Syria, Libya (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Emergency Meetings

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Syria Video: The "Tell Bashar to Go" Protests --- Set 2
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Syria Special: Torture, Intimidation Used to Deter Protests
Friday's Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Pressure Outside, More Pressure Within

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01:48 GMT: We're closing the live blog for a bit, but will be up and running in (gulp) a few short hours.

James was about to sign off with a report that it is quiet in Tripoli now. However, Matthew Price, a correspondent in Tripoli, sent this tweet about 10 minutes ago:

It did go quiet for a bit but appears it was a lull. Sounds of heavy fire now and explosions

It's going to be a long night in Tripoli, and a long couple of days for the EA crew. But it's going to be a much longer few days for the Gaddafi regime, so stay tuned...

01:03 GMT: The Head of Political affairs for the National Transitional Council, Fathi Baja, gave a statement to Reuters:

"There is certain information tells that forces loyal to Gaddafi withdrew and left their weapons behind in areas outside Tripoli. And I think everything is in order in Tripoli, rebels are approaching al-Sareem Street nearby Babal-Azizia complex. Gaddafi may be coerced to flee if he managed to co-ordinate it with some countries, but I hopeto arrest him to be tried with his sons and his assistants in Libya"

00:56 GMT: This video, shared by Human Rights Watch's Nabeel Rajab, shows Bahraini soldiers firing tear gas, and possible rubber or live bullets, at protesters. We are unsure when this was taken, but it was posted to Youtube tonight. Also shared by Rajab, and posted by the same youtube account as the first, is a video that shows Bahraini security forces breaking into cars.

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