Greater Middle East

Bahrain: court upholds two death sentences for police killings

Bahrain’s national appeal court unanimously upheld death sentences for two men convicted of killing police officers during anti-government protests in March. The court reduced the death sentences of two others to life in prison.

Greater Middle East

Al-Qaeda appoints interim successor to bin Laden: report

Saif al-Adel, an Egyptian ex-military officer who helped establish the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, has reportedly been named as al-Qaeda’s interim leader as the organization awaits a formal successor to Osama bin Laden.

Greater Middle East

More massacres in Syria, Yemen; cultural cleansing in Bahrain

Security forces fired on protesters across both Syria and Yemen, leaving several dead, while in Bahrain the government is bulldozing dozens of mosques in Shi’ite villages as part of a crackdown on Shi’ite-led protests.

Greater Middle East

Yemen: US drones attack, protesters release balloons

As US drone attacks killed two members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), protesters gathered in Yemen’s capital to release hundreds of balloons reading “Leave, Ali”—meaning President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Greater Middle East

Syria: mass round-ups of protesters

Hundreds of Syrian soldiers stormed the Damascus suburb of Saqba and rounded up residents, witnesses said. Syrian activists say at least 1,000 people have been arrested across the country over the past week.

Greater Middle East

Al-Qaeda’s Yemen franchise in Osama revenge attack?

An explosion ripped through a military vehicle in the Yemeni town of Zinjibar, killing five soldiers, while four civilians died in the ensuing firefight—hours after an al-Qaeda leader vowed revenge for the killing of bin Laden.