Tunisia protesters press for change

Upheaval continues in North African nation as hundreds of demonstrators, including police officers, take to the streets. Last Modified: 22 Jan 2011 09:44 GMT

Hundreds of demonstrators, including around 400 police officers, have taken to the streets of Tunisia's capital in another day of upheaval in the North African country. While many protesters are continuing to demand the dissolution of the interim government, police who have also joined the protests are seeking better working conditions and an improvement to what they call unfair media portrayal. Saturday's protests come in the wake of a month of turmoil that toppled Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia's longstanding ruler. While the police gathered in front of the office of Mohamed Ghannouchi, the prime minister, hundreds of other protesters were marching towards the headquarters of the UGTT union after being blocked from reaching the offices of the Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD), Ben Ali's former ruling party. The police say they have been held accountable for the policies of a repressive government that has acted against its people for years, Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra reported from Tunis, the capital. "What you see here is quite unprecedented, extraordinary, something never seen before in the Arab world," our correspondent said. "They are saying that they were victims, that they were used by the former dictator, that those who have to be held accountable and brought before justice are the senior members of the government and the ministry of the interior." They are asking for their own union, to better represent their views to the media and public, our correspondent said. Protests have continued in Tunisia even after Ben Ali fled the country, since many are angry over the inclusion of several prominent members of his regime in the new interim government. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets on Friday, seeking the dissolution of the interim administration. A pledge aimed to placate In an effort to dampen continued anger, Ghannouchi, a former ally of Ben Ali, has pledged to quit politics after elections that he says will be held as soon as possible. In an interview on Tunisian television on Friday, Ghannouchi said he will leave power after a transition phase that leads to legislative and presidential elections "in the shortest possible timeframe". Ghannouchi was a member the RCD. Despite resigning his membership in the party, he has been struggling to restore calm under a new multiparty government that the opposition complains retains too many RCD members. Follow Al Jazeera's coverage of the turmoil in Tunisia "My role is to bring my country out of this temporary phase and even if I am nominated I will refuse it and leave politics," Ghannouchi said. Ghannouchi did not say why he is leaving politics or specify when the elections would be held. He said the elections must be a success "to show the world that our country has a civilization". The prime minister also said that all of the assets held abroad by Ben Ali's regime had been frozen and would be returned to Tunisia after an investigation. Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyedin reporting from the capital, Tunis said that Ghannouchi announced the state would provide compensation to those who died during the uprising, as well as their families. He ordered the army and the justice department to preserve any documents and evidence that can be gathered so the old regime can be implicated throughout the investigation. US calls for elections Tunisia began three days of mourning on Friday, lowering flags to half-mast and broadcasting recitations of the Quran to mourn dozens who died in the protests that drove the Ben Ali from power. Central Tunis has seen near-daily demonstrations in the past week by those who say the caretaker government is still too dominated by allies of the ousted president, but security forces and the army have not opened fire since Ben Ali's ouster. The United States, meanwhile, has voiced support for the will of the Tunisian people. "It is very important that we have a broad dialogue with civil society, some important steps have already been taken by authorizing opposition parties and liberalising media coverage," PJ Crowley, the US state department spokesman, told Al Jazeera. "These are important steps by clearly it needs to be more to satisfy the Tunisian people." The US ambassador to Tunisia, Gordon Gray, told Al Jazeera earlier in his first public remarks on the uprising that the democratic transition remained "a work in progress" and represented "a new phenomenon."

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Lebanon's Jumblatt backs Hezbollah

Druze leader's decision deals a blow to caretaker PM Saad Hariri's effort to form a new government. Last Modified: 21 Jan 2011 17:03 GMT

Saad Hariri, centre, has said he will seek to form a new government despite mounting opposition pressure [Reuters] Walid Jumblatt, a Druze leader from Lebanon's opposition camp, has announced his support behind Hezbollah in a move that could give the group and its allies a veto over who becomes the country's next prime minister. Hezbollah, which has a parliamentary bloc as well as a powerful military wing, commands overwhelmingly support among Lebanon's Shia Muslim community. Jumblatt said the aim of his decision on Friday was to preserve Lebanon's stability. "I am announcing the right political stand ... by assuring the steadfastness of the group [Progressive Socialist Party] alongside Syria and the resistance [Hezbollah]," he said. Jumblatt leads a bloc of 11 parliamentarians and his support is crucial to decide who forms the new government out of the two rivals: Hezbollah or Saad Hariri, the caretaker prime minister. Hariri announced on Thursday in a televised speech that he would seek to form a new government despite strong pressure from Hezbollah for him to step down. His speech comes after talks to try to end the stalemate over the formation of a new government in Lebanon came to a complete halt. The Hezbollah-led opposition brought down Hariri's government last week after he rejected their demands to repudiate a UN-backed tribunal investigating the 2005 killing of his father, Rafiq al-Hariri. "We have said Hariri should not come back, and yes he should not come back," said Michel Aoun, a Christian leader allied with Hezbollah. Open to different outcome Al Jazeera's Rula Amin, reporting from Beirut, said Hariri made it clear in his speech that he will accept any outcome from political consultations expected to be launched by Michel Suleiman, the country's president, on Monday. Suleiman has called parliamentarians for consultations to name a new prime minister after which he will ask the candidate with most backing to form a new government. "He seems to feel that he might lose the battle with the Hezbollah-led opposition if they get enough votes to nominate their own prime minister and form the next government without him," our correspondent said. She said Hariri blamed the opposition for the failure of his effort to preserve Lebanon's stability and security. He also appealed for calm, saying: "Any drop of blood that falls from any Lebanese citizen is more important to me than any post." Hezbollah and its allies are widely expected to nominate the veteran Omar Karameh, who has already served twice as prime minister. In Lebanon's power-sharing political system, the prime minister must be Sunni Muslim, the president Maronite Christian, and parliamentary speaker a Shia Muslim. It was not clear whether Hariri will get enough support on Monday.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Obama urged to condemn settlements

US academics and ex-government officials ask US president to support UN resolution against illegal Israeli settlements. Last Modified: 22 Jan 2011 09:41 GMT

The letter said the number of Israelis living beyond the 1967 line complicates the realisation of two-state solution [AFP] Several US policy practitioners, academics, former government officials and journalists have in a letter to Barack Obama urged the US president to support the upcoming United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution condemning illegal Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land. "The time has come for a clear signal from the United States to the parties and to the broader international community that the US can and will approach the conflict with the objectivity, consistency and respect for international law required if it is to play a constructive role in the conflict's resolution," read the letter published in the Washington Note, a popular political blog, on Wednesday. It went on to say that "while a UNSC resolution will not resolve the issue of settlements or prevent further Israeli construction activity in the Occupied Territory, it is an appropriate venue for addressing these issues and for putting all sides on notice that the continued flouting of international legality will not be treated with impunity." The signatories to the letter advised that if the US believes that the text of the resolution is flawed, that it could set forth additional US views on settlements and related issues in an accompanying statement. "The alternative to a Resolution - a consensus statement by the President of the UNSC - would have no stature under international law, hence this option should be avoided," the letter warned. Cairo address The letter urged the president to follow through on the commitment he made in his landmark Cairo speech of June 2009, in which he said: "The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. "This construction violates previous agreements and undermines efforts to achieve peace. It is time for these settlements to stop." The letter also states that settlements are illegal according to article 49 of the Fourth Geneva convention - a status recognised in an opinion issued by the US State Department's legal advissr on April 28, 1978, a position which has never since been revised. "That official US legal opinion describes the settlements as being "inconsistent with international law. "US policy across nine administrations has been to oppose the settlements, with the focus for the last two decades being on the incompatibility of settlement construction with efforts to advance peace." It also says that the resolution will have a defining effect on the credibility of the US as a broker in Middle East peace, as well as its "seriousness as a guarantor of international law and international legitimacy ... in a region in which hundreds of thousands of our troops are deployed and where we face the greatest threats and challenges to our security. "This vote is an American national security interest vote par excellence. We urge you to do the right thing." Among those who signed the letter are former US Trade Representative and Council on foreign Relations Chair, Carla Hills, journalist and former New Republic editor Peter Beinart, former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Thomas Pickering, former Assistant Secretary of State, James Dobbins, former Assistant Secretary of State, Robert Pastor, former New Republic editor and Atlantic Senior Editor and Daily Dish publisher, Andrew Sullivan, former US Secretary of Defence, Frank Carlucci and former US Ambassador to Israel Edward Walker.

Source: Washington Note

Malaysia navy frees hijacked tanker

Navy commandos overcome Somali pirates on board a chemical tanker in the Gulf of Aden, rescuing 23 crew members. Last Modified: 22 Jan 2011 06:15 GMT

The reach of pirates has extended more than 800km off the Somali coast in recent years [AFP] Malaysian Navy commandos have rescued a chemical tanker hijacked by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden just hours after the ship was seized. The commandos injured three pirates, captured seven, and rescued 23 crew members on board the MT Bunga Laurel on Friday morning. The armed pirates stormed the ship on Thursday night, and the crew responded by locking themselves in a safe room and activating a distress signal, which was picked up by the navy. The commandos exchanged gunfire with the pirates before overcoming them, the navy said in a statement on Friday. Possible charges According to the New Straits Times newspaper, the Bunga Laurel was carrying oil worth $10m. The newspaper also said that a Fennec attack helicopter had pinned down the pirates' "mothership" with machine gun fire as the commandoes boarded the Laurel. Najib Razak, the prime minister, said he was informed of the situation and that the authorities were considering whether the pirates should be brought to Malaysia to face trial. "I am proud of our [navy], which acted with full efficiency and demonstrated courage,'' he told a news conference. The Bunga Laurel rescue came on the same day that South Korea staged a similar effort, freeing 21 crew members and killing eight pirates from a freighter in the Arabian Sea that had been hijacked last week.

Source: Agencies

Afghan MPs in showdown with Karzai

Newly elected politicians to open parliament despite president's call for more time to probe fraud claims. Last Modified: 22 Jan 2011 05:39 GMT

September's parliamentary polls were marred by allegations of fraud and intimidation [EPA] Hundreds of newly elected Afghan members of parliament appear to be headed for a political confrontation with the country's president, having decided to hold the first session of the parliament on Sunday against his wishes. More than 200 MPs said they would defy President Hamid Karzai by going ahead with the planned opening session of the new parliament on Sunday. Karzai had suggested that the session be postponed for a month so that a tribunal can contine investigating allegations of election fraud. "If the police don't let us in the parliament, we can meet in the street, the road, there are open fields," Mohammad Akbari, a parliamentarian from Bamiyan province, said. "We are against tension and protests, but we are the representatives of the Afghan people. The president cannot postpone parliament. We are in the right." The decision by the MPs comes despite a call from the head of a special tribunal, set up in December, to look into more than 400 cases of alleged electoral fraud in September's parliamentary polls, for a delay of at least a month. Sidiqullah Haqiq, the tribunal head, warned that his body could still rule in favour of recounts. It is unclear if the tribunal, deemed unconstitutional by both the international community and the electoral bodies who organised and oversaw the election, has the authority to alter the result of any races. International concern The United Nation's mission in Afghanistan expressed its "deep concern and surprise" at the president's order for a delay. In a statement released on Friday, the UN, the EU, the US, Canada and other nations said they continued to support a "reasonable, enduring and peaceful resolution to this issue" so that the Afghan parliament can convene "as soon as possible". The parliament was set to start work on Sunday after an earlier investigation by an anti-fraud watchdog into the charges of irregularities. That group discarded 1.3 million ballots, nearly a quarter of the total, and disqualified 19 winning candidates before final results were issued on November 24. But Afghanistan's attorney general said the investigation had not been thorough enough and launched a new round of inquiries, which led the Supreme Court to create the special tribunal in late December. As well as being hit by fraud and violence, the original parliamentary election resulted in a weak showing for the Pashtuns, Karzai's traditional power base and Afghanistan's biggest single ethnic group. A free and fair election would have shown Karzai's commitment to fight cronyism and corruption a year after international criticism over a fraud-tainted presidential poll that led to his own re-election. However, the parliamentary ballot, in which 2,500 contenders ran for 249 seats, was marred by allegations of fraud and voter intimidation.

Source: Agencies

Duvalier regrets 'Haiti abuses'

Haiti's ousted ruler Jean Claude Duvalier apologises and expresses sadness for victims of his rule. Last Modified: 22 Jan 2011 01:33 GMT

Jean-Claude Duvalier expressed sorrow for those who said were victimised during his rule [EPA] Jean-Claude Duvalier, the former Haitian dictator, has apologised to the victims of his 15-year regime and said he had returned back to Haiti to work for national reconciliation. In a brief speech at a rented guest house on Friday, Duvalier said he wanted to help with his country's reconstruction following last year's deadly quake. "I am here to show my solidarity at this difficult moment," he said in his first full public statement since ending two decades in exile and arriving back in Haiti without warning on Sunday. "Baby Doc" Duvalier - the 59-year-old former leader, who ruled Haiti from 1971 to 1986 through terror after inheriting power from his father - added he also wanted "to express deep sorrow for all those who say they were victims of my government". His comments came amid debate and speculation that his sudden return have triggered. Human rights abuses Sebastian Walker, Al Jazeera's correspondent reporting from Haiti, said Duvalier acknowledged that human rights abuses may have taken place during his rule but left it to his lawyers to answer questions about whether his return could have been motivated by financial gain. "According to his lawyer, one of the reasons Duvalier decided to come back was to free up funds currently frozen in his Swiss bank accounts" Walker said. "There is a new law coming into effect in Switzerland in February that could see him losing out on more than $6m. "His lawyer said it would be used to help Haiti get back on its feet again ... exactly what role he intends to play now he's here remains unclear." Speaking in a weak voice to a room packed with journalists, he called for "national reconciliation" in Haiti and said he had hoped for a "rapid resolution to the political crisis." But his words are unlikely to calm tensions, with many unanswered questions about his sudden return for people with long memories of his brutal rule. Many fear he is seeking a return to power by capitalising on the current political chaos stalking the quake-ravaged Caribbean country. Political turmoil Haiti, already struggling to recover from the devastating January 2010 earthquake, is also caught up in deepening political turmoil due to disputed presidential elections. "The electoral system is broken," said popular singer Michel Martelly, who came in third place in November's presidential elections according to initial results released by Haiti's election commission (CEP). Martelly says he believes he will be pushed out of the second round run-off despite the recommendations of international monitors from the Organization of American States. "We'll take to the streets peacefully, if the CEP doesn't accept the OAS recommendations," Martelly told journalists. The OAS said many of the tally sheets it reviewed had been tampered with or altered in favor of President Rene Preval's chosen candidate, Jude Celestin. It has recommended that Martelly, not Celestin, should square off against former first lady Mirlande Manigat in the run-off. The United States, backed by Britain and France, has already warned Haiti's leaders that they should follow the OAS recommendations to ensure a credible government is in place or risk losing international support. Stepping up the pressure on Preval, the US State Department said on Friday it had revoked visas for an unspecified number of Haitian government officials. "Our focus at the present time is in ensuring a free, fair, credible election process in Haiti," spokesman Philip Crowley said. "To the extent that there are individuals connected with episodes of violence or corruption, we will not hesitate to take appropriate actions."

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Iran talks continue despite rifts

Tehran and world powers have made little progress as nuclear talks continue for second and final day in Istanbul. Last Modified: 22 Jan 2011 09:44 GMT

Saeed Jalili, Iran's nuclear negotiator, held separate talks with Chinese and Russian delegations [Reuters] World powers have made little progress in persuading Iran to halt its nuclear programme, as talks over Tehran's controversial nuclear programme entered the second and final day in the Turkish city of Istanbul. "Little has been achieved.. and little has been leaked from inside the closed dooor meetings," Al Jazeera's Mohamed Vall reported from Istanbul on Saturday. However, there was some relief that Iran was ready to continue with discussions; diplomats were concerned talks could have collapsed after the first day as both sides reiterated previous positions on the issue. Iran refuses discuss the issue of its uranium enrichment, Vall said, while the Western powers represented at the talks see it as a core concern. Catherine Ashton, the European Union foreign policy chief, is the lead negotiator for the big powers - the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany. "She seems to have had some success in trying narrow the gaps and the Iranians seem to be responding positively to her," a Western diplomat told Reuters news agency. However, Al Jazeera's Vall said comments made by former UK prime minister Tony Blair on Friday, that it was time for the West to take action against Iran, could affect the mood at the talks. Blair was speaking at a London inquiry into the Iraq war where he said the time had come to "get our heads out of the sand" and take action against Iran. Separate meetings In Depth Focus: Iran sanctions: all pain, no gain Opinion: And the real enemy is ... Opinion: The Iranian dilemma Sanctions cripple the UN Inside Story: Targeting Iran's nuclear scientists Cutting ties with Iran? Saeed Jalili, Iran's nuclear negotiator, met with Russian and Chinese delegations on Friday evening on the sidelines of the talks. Jalili was also expected to meet Bill Burns, his US counterpart, but he excused himself at the last moment, saying he had a "headache," sources said. "We are fully prepared to have a conversation with Iran, but whether it will happen remains to be seen," PJ Crowley. the US state department spokesman, had previously said in Washington. Burns and Jalili met on the sidelines of an earlier round of talks in Geneva in 2009, but such contacts have been rarely confirmed by the Iranian side. Bravado Al Jazeera's Alireza Ronaghi, reporting from Tehran, called Iran's responses to the world powers "bravado on full throttle". The Iranian delegation feels they are taking the high road in offering to co-operate with these world powers, Ronaghi said, but they won't be seen to compromise. "[Iran is] suggesting that if anyone wants these talks to work, these world powers should compromise. They should backtrack from what they have approved in the UN Security Council before." "Iran is asking the world to put aside their concerns and their worries about Iran's nuclear programme," Ronaghi said, adding that the probability of that happening was "very, very unlikely". Uranium enrichment Early on during Friday's sessions, an Iranian delegate said Iran refused to discuss any suspension of its uranium enrichment activities during the Istanbul talks. Iran has ignored UN Security Council resolutions demanding it suspend enrichment, with trade and other benefits offered in return, and refused to grant unfettered access for UN nuclear inspectors. Uranium enriched to a low degree yields fuel for electricity or, if refined to a very high level, the fissile core of a nuclear weapon. Tehran says its nuclear programme is peaceful. The country's nuclear standoff with the West has escalated in the past year, with the United Nations imposing new sanctions and Western states rejecting a revised proposal for Iran to swap some of its fuel abroad as too little, too late. Ashton outlined a possible revised offer for a nuclear fuel swap that would entail Iran handing over a large chunk of its stockpile of low enriched uranium. But no offer was made as Iran's preconditions included a suspension of economic sanctions, a Western diplomat said.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies