Mideast news brief: Yemeni security forces open fire on protesters

Daily Snapshot

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki holds a press conference in Baghdad on May 11, 2011 as he called for a dialogue with rival blocs to gauge whether or not US troops currently in Iraq should stay beyond a year-end deadline for their withdrawal (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images).

Arguments & Analysis

“As Arabs revolt, government forces target health workers” (Christopher Albon, the Atlantic)

“International law has long enshrined special protections for health workers in war. But, what about the civil unrest seen during the Arab Spring? “Even if the situation isn’t clearly an armed conflict” said Dr. Stephanie Carvin, Lecturer in International Relations at Royal Holloway, University of London, “there are unambiguous international rules which would prohibit the direct targeting of neutral ambulance workers and medical personnel.” The present legal protections are clearly not enough to keep these humanitarian workers safe. The U.S. and international community must do more to protect health workers, first by affirming the current protections for health workers during war and second by strengthening the application of these protections to all cases of political violence — including the type of government crackdowns seen during the Arab Spring. But simply reinforcing legal protections will likely not be enough; they must be backed by action. Seeing that doctors and nurses are no longer targeted will require pressuring the offending governments — such as those of Yemen or Bahrain — to stop persecuting health workers for doing their jobs. We will likely never have a full accounting of the sacrifices made by medical staff during the democratic protests movements. But we do know that these unsung heroes of the Arab Spring continue to risk their lives to provide medical care, and we should have their backs.”

“A roadmap for Libya” (Ibrahim Kalin, the Guardian)

“The guiding principle for Turkish policy on Libya has been to ensure a peaceful transition to democracy and rule of law as inspired by the Arab spring and demanded by the people of Libya…Now the task before us is to implement the roadmap in a timely and effective manner. As the military leg of the Nato mission in Libya appears to have reached an impasse, and the possibility of prolonged fighting looms large, efforts need to be concentrated on an immediate ceasefire and starting the political process. Turkey is working with both its Nato allies and Arab countries to make this happen. It is not possible to turn an autocratic regime into a democracy overnight. One needs patience, prudence, solidarity and leadership to establish the principles of justice, equality and rule of law as well as the institutions that will support them. This is true in Libya as well as in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Syria and other places. It is clear that the moment of change has finally come to the Arab world. Turkey will continue to support the process of reform and democratisation and urge governments to listen to the legitimate demands of their people.”

“Palestinian answers in the Arab Spring” (Jamil Hilal, al-Shabaka)

“The main message from the Arab uprisings to the Palestinian people is that the quest for national liberation, democracy, and social justice is intertwined. The first step must be to rebuild the Palestinian national movement on democratic and inclusive grounds that preserve the unity of the Palestinian people. In weighing whether Palestinians should seek to rebuild the PLO or attempt to build a new national movement, it is clear that rebuilding the PLO would be the most effective path to follow despite its moribund state. The democratization taking place in the Arab world is of great value and strength to the Palestinian struggle, and the Palestinian leadership need to support and be inspired by it. In rebuilding the national movement, Palestinians must realign the national and social agenda and engage with diverse Palestinian communities. They must account for and incorporate the social, democratic and national struggles appropriate to the conditions of each community, and derive inspiration from the values of freedom, equality, social justice and the right to self-determination.”