Libya is engaged in a civil war. New protests have broken out in Oman, Bahrain and Yemen. The uprising in Tunisia, the pioneer state of the so-called "Arab Spring," is entering a second phase. As usual, the amateurish Obama administration has no idea what to do about any of this.
Anti-government protesters blockaded Bahrain's parliament and massed outside the state broadcaster on Monday in efforts to escalate pressure on the nation's embattled monarchy after two weeks of nonstop marches and deadly clashes.
Omani security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters demanding political reforms on Sunday, killing at least one person in the strategic Gulf country, police officials said.
Prominent Bahraini opposition leader Hassan Mushaima returned home from exile Saturday and urged the Gulf kingdom's rulers to back up promises of political reform with action.
Hopefully, Moammar Gadhafi will get his wish to die rather than leave Libya. Dictators at his level are always offered safe haven, particularly because they carry billions of dollars with them. If he leaves, Col. Gadhafi should be indicted, tried and convicted for his crimes. It's an anomaly that the Obama administration, while condemning our former and current allies in Egypt, Bahrain and Yemen, has had only muted criticism of Col. Gadhafi, with no demands that he leave.
Senior members of Bahrain's largest opposition party told The Washington Times on Thursday that they were cautiously optimistic about upcoming talks with the government after it took several confidence-building measures.
May we drill now, please? At this writing, circumstances in the Middle East may change between this sentence and my last paragraph.
A government spokeswoman said Thursday a prominent opposition leader will not be arrested if he returns to Bahrain, but it remained unclear whether he was free to travel.
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday nearly doubled a development fund that helps citizens buy homes, get married and start businesses, and it set up unemployment assistance for the first time as the oil-rich nation warily watches the unrest spreading around the Middle East.
