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Yemen regime on the brink as army splits

Yemeni president Saleh's tottering regime has taken a further blow with the defection of five generals, including the commander of the 1st Brigade, major general Ali Mohsin Saleh Ahmar. Soldiers of the 1st Brigade joined protesters in the capital Sanaa, where tanks patrol the streets, as troops loyal to the dictator surrounded his presidential palace. Talk of an army coup is now rife.

Impatience with the meagre concessions grudgingly granted by Saleh - who has held office since 1978 - had already toughened the mood of protesters. But last Friday saw the worst regime violence yet. Soldiers on the ground and rooftop snipers fired on unarmed, peaceful protesters in front of Sanaa university, killing over 50 and wounding 200. That compares with 29 deaths reported since protests began in early February! Bullet wounds to the heads of victims indicate that snipers shot to kill.

Undoubtedly, the bravery and determination of the protests, along with the deepening crisis of presidential rule, has been the key factor in fomenting the split in the military. The Friday massacre was the last straw for general Ahmar, who held the president responsible for the bloodshed and stated that his defection was "an answer to the developments in the streets."

Increasingly desperate, Saleh is now raising the spectre of civil war, but it seems unlikely he has the basis of support to mount such a fightback. On his part, general Ahmar is seen as a regime man, corrupt with conservative Wahhabi sympathhies – not likely to be popular among radical youth. The troops of the 1st Brigade, on the other hand, are hailed by the protesting crowds.

The democracy movement, whilst strong and united in opposition to Saleh's rule, is – like the movements in other Arab states – extremely heterogeneous. It includes students, islamists, socialists, and tribal leaders, some veteran oppositionists, and some completely new. Needless to say, they have diverse views of what kind of government and society should replace the present regime.

Well before this movement emerged, Yemen was facing acute problems on several fronts: a northern rebellion, secessionists in the south, and the activities of Al Qaeda. Saudi Arabia involved itself in the north, sending in troops against the Houti rebels, and the USA made airstrikes on what it calls "terrorist" positions, killing hundreds, prompting some to call Yemen the USA's 'third war', after Iraq and Afghanistan. Yemen's strategic location between the Middle East and the Horn of Africa is perhaps the most important factor motivating the USA's involvement.

Apart from these conflicts, Yemen faces economic woes unlike those in most Arab states. Dwindling resources - oil is tipped to run low by 2017 – and an undeveloped economy combine with a growing, youthful population to produce 65% unemployment and seething frustration and unrest. Whatever regime replaces the rule of president Saleh will have to deal first and foremost with this economic challenge.

Libya ~ Liberated towns, false leadership

Libyans freed Benghazi and took power into their own hands, but have placed their faith in a false leader - Gaddafi's former justice minister, Mustafa Abdel-Jalil.

Without a revolutionary workers party, the revolution will be usurped by forces that will restore the rich to power and re-enslave Libya under its former imperialist masters.

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Liberated Benghazi - Capital of Libyan revolution!

SOLIDARITY WITH THE LIBYAN REVOLUTION ~ NATO-US-EU-UK-UN: HANDS OFF LIBYA! ~ The Libyan masses have freed themselves in Benghazi, the new 'capital' and focus of revolutionary struggle. They are creating a new society. The last thing they need is NATO, who would intervene to protect Western interests, and certainly would crush this people's revolution!

Video transcript:

JIHAN HAFIZ, JOURNALIST: Across the border from Egypt there is a new sovereign country ruled by revolutionaries. After 42 years under the rule of president/colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi, the Libyan people are in full revolt and are now firmly in control of the eastern part of the country. In the liberated city of Benghazi, the stronghold of the opposition, the people have formed a deep sense of community. This is a revolution without leaders and tens of thousands of volunteers. People collect donated food, some coming in from neighboring Egypt and Tunisia, and safeguard it in a warehouse before distributing it for free to the population. The shops and restaurants surrounding the city now serve as communal kitchens for the revolution.

UNIDENTIFIED (SUBTITLED TRANSLATION): I cook every day, sometimes rice, sometimes macaroni, sometimes kiksou, sometimes beans. It tastes good and everyone is well fed, thank God.

HAFIZ: Foreign journalists were seldom seen here. Now they are welcomed with open arms and report freely. The first independent newspaper in liberated Benghazi [was] named after the February 17 uprising that led to the government's ouster from this city.

UNIDENTIFIED (SUBTITLED TRANSLATION): The newspapers and magazines could not discuss the regime, and freedom of the press was non-existent. He had cut them completely. Journalists that attempted to be free disappeared. Not just them, but their immediate and extended family would vanish.

CROWD (SUBTITLED TRANSLATION): Dear God!

HAFIZ: But liberating eastern Libya of the Gaddafi regime came at a heavy price. It's estimated over 1,000 civilians were killed when the regime responded to the peaceful protest with extreme violence. Some of the images we have obtained are too gruesome to broadcast. The hospitals are still packed with patients with gunshot wounds. After the violent battle for the eastern city of Benghazi, there's no turning back for the people here. You're hearing them screaming, "The people of Zawiyah will join us." They're counting on the other cities in the West to join them in a fight against a leader who has ruled this country for 42 years. Libya's second-largest city has become the unofficial capital of this uprising, and thousands of protesters continue streaming in from the surrounding region. Gaddafi has called the pro-democracy demonstrators "extremists" and "members of al-Qaeda", but people here refute those claims as absurd.

UNIDENTIFIED: We don't have radical people. Our Muslims are moderate. We are--we will be--I am sure we will inspire a lot of Arab nations, I am sure, and also Muslim nations. Libya will inspire the world! Libya will inspire the world! Libya! Libya!

SISTERS (SUBTITLED TRANSLATION): God is Great!

HAFIZ: These sisters lost their father when he drove his car into Gaddafi's military barracks. The crash was the turning point in the battle for Benghazi, as thousands stormed the building, liberating the city. They call them martyrs, and the memory of how and why they died fuels this revolution. The celebration of eastern Libya's freedom continued late into Friday night, as people were elated to hear of Libyans revolting in other parts of the country. Many here believe it's a matter of days before the force of people power makes history once again in the latest and bloodiest Arab uprising to rock the region since the beginning of the year. Jihan Hafiz for The Real News in Benghazi, Libya.

Credit: http://trnn.com

Tunisia, Egypt ~ Passing the torch to Libya

Where is next?

Egyptian independent trade unionists’ declaration ~ Cairo, 2011/02/19

Revolution ~ Freedom ~ Social Justice

Demands of the Workers in the Revolution

O heroes of the 25 January revolution!  We, workers and trade unionists from different workplaces which have seen strikes, occupations, and demonstrations by hundreds of thousands of workers across Egypt during the current period, feel it is right to unite the demands of striking workers so that they may become an integral part of the goals of our revolution, which the people of Egypt made, and for which the martyrs shed their blood.

We present to you a workers' program which brings together our just demands, in order to reaffirm the social aspect of this revolution and to prevent the revolution being taken away from those at its base who should be its beneficiaries.

The workers' demands which we raised before the 25 January revolution and were part of the prelude to this glorious revolution are:

1. Raising the national minimum wage and pension, and narrowing the gap between minimum and maximum wages so that the maximum is no more than 15 times the minimum, in order to achieve the principle of social justice which the revolution gave birth to; payment of unemployment benefits, as well as regular increases commensurate with rising prices.

2. The freedom to organize independent trade unions without conditions or restrictions, and the protection of trade unions and their leaders.

3. The right of manual workers and clerical workers, peasant farmers and professionals, to job security and protection from dismissal.  Temporary workers must be made permanent and dismissed workers be returned to their jobs.  We must do away with all excuses for employing workers on temporary contracts.

4. Renationalization of all privatized enterprises and a complete stop to the infamous privatization program which wrecked our national economy under the defunct regime.

5.

• Complete removal of corrupt managers who were imposed on companies in order to run them down and sell them off.
• Curbing the employment of consultants who are past the age of retirement and who eat up 3 billion of the national income, in order to open up employment opportunities for the young.
• Return to the enforcement of price controls on goods and services in order to keep prices down and not to burden the poor.

6. The right of Egyptian workers to strike, organize sit-ins, and demonstrate peacefully, including those striking now against the remnants of the failed regime, those who were imposed on their companies in order to run them down prior to a sell-off.  It is our opinion that if this revolution does not lead to the fair distribution of wealth it is not worth anything.  Freedoms are not complete without social freedoms.  The right to vote is naturally dependent on the right to a loaf of bread.

7. Health care is a necessary condition for increasing production.

8. Dissolution of the Egyptian Trade Union Federation, which was one of the most important symbols of corruption under the defunct regime. Execution of the legal judgments issued against it and seizure of its financial assets and documents.  Seizure of the assets of the leaders of the ETUF and its member unions and their investigation.

Signed:

Ahmad Kamal Salah, Employee of the Meteorological Office
Hossam Muhammad Abdallah Ali, Health Technicians Union
Sayyida Al-Sayyid Muhammad Fayiz, Nurse
Ashraf Abd al-Wanis, Al-Fayyum Sugar Refinery
Abd-al-Qadir Mansur, Omar Effendi Department Store
Hafiz Nagib Muhammad, Future Pipes Co, 6th October City
Muhammad Hassan, Egypt - Helwan Textiles Co.
Mahmud Abd-al-Munsaf Al-Alwani, Tora Cement
Ali Mahmud Nagi, Egyptian Commercial Pharmaceutical Co.
Omar Muhammad Abd-al-Aziz, Hawamidiyya Sugar Refinery
Muhammad Galal, Egyptian Pharmaceuticals
Shazli Sawi Shazli, Suez Fertilisers Co.
Muhammad Ibrahim Hassan, Military Factory No.45
Wasif Musa Wahba, Military Factory No. 999
Gamil Fathi Hifni, General Transport Authority
Adil Abd-al-Na'im, Cairo General Contractors
Ali Hassan Abu Aita, Al-Qanah Rope Co., Port Sa'id
Hind Abd-al-Gawad Ibrahim, Information Centre
Hamada Abu-Zaid, Information Centre
Muhammad Khairy Zaid, Information Centre
Hatim Salah Sayyid, General Authority for Cultural Centres
Muhammad Abd-al-Hakim, National Postal Authority
Ahmad Islam, International Ibex Co.
Tariq Sayyid Mahmud, Military Factory 99
Nabil Mahmud, Military Factory 999
Mahmud Shukri, Trade unionist
Ahmad Faruq, Military Factory 999
Osama Al-Sayyid, Military Factory 999
Yasir Al-Sayyid Ibrahim, Future Pipe Industries
Mahmud Ali Ahmad, Tannery workers
Abd-al-Rasul Abd-al-Ghani, Future Pipe Industries
Ali Al-Sayyid, Omar Effendi Department Store
Kamal Abu Aita, Property Tax Collectors (RETAU)
Ahmad Abd-al-Sabur, Property Tax Collectors (RETAU)
Salah Abd-al-Hamid, Property Tax Collectors (RETAU)
Mahmud Umar, Property Tax Collectors (RETAU)
Khalid Galal Muhammad, Worker
Muhammad Zaki Isma'il, Petrotrade Co.
Saud Omar, Suez Canal Co.
Kamal el-Banna, Suez Fertilizers Co.


Translated by: Hossam el-Hamalawy ~ from original Arabic: Revolutionary Socialism

Oil and gas workers strike ~ إضراب عمال البترول والغاز

Thousands of workers from several oil and gas companies are on strike, protesting in front of the Ministry of Petroleum, in Nasr City. The workers had several economic and political demands that include:

• a halt to abusive management practices in terms of sackings
• the reinstatement of the sacked workers
• raising salaries that roughly average on LE400
• establishing an independent union
• impeaching the corrupt minister Sameh Fahmy
• stopping gas exports to Israel.

Solidarity with the Egyptian revolution! Stop the military council's counterrevolutionary moves to ban strikes, workers' meetings and trade unions!

Egypt ~ The Sound of Freedom ~ Sout Al Horeya ~ صوت الحريه ~ Amir Eid

Sout Alhoureya ~ Amir Eid ~ Featuring ~ Hany Adel, Hawary on guitars & Sherif Mostafa on keyboards ~ video by Moustafa Fahmy, Mohamed Khalifa and Mohamed Shaker

Sout Al Horeya صوت الحريه Amir Eid - Hany Adel - Hawary On Guitar MP3 Download

Amir Eid on Youtube ~ Amir Eid on Facebook

LYRICS

English (incomplete)

"I went down and I said I am not coming back, and I wrote on every street wall that I am not coming back.

"All barriers have been broken down, our weapon was our dream, and the future is crystal clear to us, we have been waiting for a long time, we are still searching for our place, we keep searching for a place we belong too, in every corner in our country.

"The sound of freedom is calling, in every street corner in our country, the sound of freedom is calling..

"We will re-write history, if you are one of us, join us and don't stop us from fulfilling our dream."

from Al Jazeera live English blog Feb 11

espanol

LA VOZ DE LA LIBERTAD (1)

Hemos levantado la cabeza hacia el cielo

Ya no nos importa el hambre

Lo más importante es nuestro derecho

Y escribir nuestra historia con nuestra sangre

Si eras uno de nosotros, deja de despotricar y de decirnos

Que nos vayamos y olvidemos nuestros sueños

No sigas hablando en mi nombre

En todas las calles de mi país, llama la voz de la libertad

LA VOZ DE LA LIBRTAD (2) He bajado a decir que no vuelvo He escrito con mi sangre en todas las calles Nos ha oído el que no oía Y se han levantado todas las prohibiciones Nuestras armas son nuestros sueños Y tenemos un mañana claro ante nosotros Hace tiempo que esperamos Buscamos y no encontramos nuestro sitio En todas las calles de mi país Llama la voz de la libertad

Thanks to YT user jabira9!