World Unrest in the Middle East

[Vellu]

Politics. Never understood it.

 

[Slayer4000X2008]

South Sudan backs independence - results

They said nearly 99% of the voters in January's referendum were in favour of dividing Africa's biggest country.

Earlier, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir again said he would accept the outcome of the vote.

The poll was agreed as part of a 2005 peace agreement ending more than two decades of civil war between the south and north Sudan.

Although the vote was peaceful, tension remains high in parts of the oil-rich border region.

At least 50 people were killed over the weekend in fighting between soldiers in south Sudan's Upper Nile state.

Much more inside.

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I for one am very happy the results came out the way they did.

 

[Jedimindtrixxx]

Politics. Never understood it.

I got a 93% in civics and I can safely say I can relate. And I don't think I ever will. all it's good for is complaining about topics I don't even fully understand.

 

[The Helper]

Mubarak resigns, hands power to military - Egypt free of Mubarak

CAIRO – Egypt's Hosni Mubarak resigned as president and handed control to the military on Friday after 29 years in power, bowing to a historic 18-day wave of pro-democracy demonstrations by hundreds of thousands. "The people ousted the president," chanted a crowd of tens of thousands outside his presidential palace in Cairo.

Several hundred thousand protesters massed in Cairo's central Tahrir Square exploded into joy, cheering and waving Egyptian flags. Fireworks, car horns and celebratory shots in the air were heard around the city of 18 million in joy after Vice President Omar Suleiman made the announcement on national TV just after nightfall.

Mubarak had sought to cling to power, handing some of his authorities to Suleiman while keeping his title. But an explosion of protests Friday rejecting the move appeared to have pushed the military into forcing him out completely. Hundreds of thousands marched throughout the day in cities across the country as soliders stood by, besieging his palace in Cairo and Alexandria and the state TV building. A governor of a southern province was forced to flee to safety in the face of protests there.

It was the biggest day of protests yet in the upheaval that began Jan. 25, growing from youth activists working on the Internet into a mass movement that tapped into widespread discontent with Mubarak's authoritarian lock on power, corruption, economic woes and widespread disparities between rich and poor.

Read the news here.

 

[The Helper]

Another Domino in the chain....

 

[Renendaru]

He actually stepped down? I would not have expected it.

 

[Exfyre]

bout time

 

[The Helper]

The army forced him out (aka the US). He was reported to have defied the US by saying stay out so we can.t have that and the real people behind everything finally pulled the trigger. His vice president who is essentially him is in charge and they expect the people to accept that. If this was all real the vice president would have to go away. Someone is compromising for a bunch of people that are in a square and who are they? What if they just did not leave after this?

 

[xPass]

The army forced him out (aka the US). He was reported to have defied the US by saying stay out so we can.t have that and the real people behind everything finally pulled the trigger. His vice president who is essentially him is in charge and they expect the people to accept that. If this was all real the vice president would have to go away. Someone is compromising for a bunch of people that are in a square and who are they? What if they just did not leave after this?

That's sad for him... Seriously, imagine that you are a President and you actually resigned... That's gonna be the worst day of your life. Imagine the income you just lost per month!!! (For money faced people like me )

 

[The Helper]

Algerian protesters clash with police

Thousands of people defied an official ban on demonstrations in the Algerian capital and gathered in the city center for an pro-reform protest, the day after weeks of mass protests in Egypt succeeded in toppling the president.

Organizers of the march estimated some 10,000 people had flooded downtown Algiers, where they skirmished with riot police attempting to block off streets and disperse the crowd. Some arrests were reported.

Government opponents called for a mass protest march to demand democratic change and jobs.

But some local residents stayed away and thousands of police in riot gear were moved to the capital to try and enforce a ban on the march.

Read the news here.

 

[The Helper]

Algeria shuts down internet and Facebook as protest mounts

Internet providers were shut down and Facebook accounts deleted across Algeria on Saturday as thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators were arrested in violent street demonstrations.

Plastic bullets and tear gas were used to try and disperse large crowds in major cities and towns, with 30,000 riot police taking to the streets in Algiers alone.

There were also reports of journalists being targeted by state-sponsored thugs to stop reports of the disturbances being broadcast to the outside world.

But it was the government attack on the internet which was of particular significance to those calling for an end to President Abdelaziz Boutifleka's repressive regime.

More.

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Like that worked in Egypt. President Abdelaziz Boutifleka better get to stepping.

 

[FireCat]

Well, Violence is never the key! But to see every greedy, ruthless psychopaths
get down, that would be :thup:

 

[Jedimindtrixxx]

i think algeria got prepared for this once they saw what was happening in egypt, pretty sure the gov't is more prepared and might be able to hold off the protest. still GL to algeria.

 

[Samael88]

Hmm, first Egypt and now this. Perhaps the rest of Africa will follow and then as a result it might even end up forming the African Union or something like that^^

 

[Slayer4000X2008]

They did this because of Egypt. Once they was the results this began. Atleast that's what I heard.

 

[xPass]

Serves them right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[The Helper]

Anti-government protests spread to Iran

TEHRAN - Crowds of demonstrators battled security forces armed with tear gas and batons during a surprisingly large anti-government protest in the Iranian capital Monday that drew inspiration from the recent popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.

Dodging clouds of tear gas fired by police and pro-government militiamen, the protesters marched down a central boulevard and shouted slogans such as "Death to the dictator," "We are all together" and "Down with Taliban, in Cairo and Tehran."

Witnesses at several positions along the route said vast throngs of people could be seen marching from Enghelab (Revolution) Square toward Azadi (Freedom) Square, overwhelming police efforts to stop them.

Dozens of protesters were arrested for participating in the banned rally, an opposition Web site reported. A similar demonstration, clashes and arrests were reported in the central Iranian city of Isfahan.

Read the news here.

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Wait now, I didn't think we were propping up a dictator in Iran....

 

[Jedimindtrixxx]

wait, what's wrong with iran? i thought iran was well off right now (well, compared with other countries in the area)
also i thought iran had a democracy (could be wrong though)

 

[Vestras]

wait, what's wrong with iran? i thought iran was well off right now (well, compared with other countries in the area)
also i thought iran had a democracy (could be wrong though)

Of course they're not. AFAIK their leadership is extremely islamistic and their president is a dictator. They also have an insane nuclear program.

 

[Wiseman_2]

Iran isn't exactly all that great right now. It's under a dictatorship which wants to nuke Israel and who happens to be very anti-Western.