Three Arab Countries Facing Protests, Three Different Outcomes

As of today, protests continue in Bahrain, Yemen, and Syria with the opposition in those countries having differing levels of success.  In Yemen, talks aimed at the exit of President Saleh are continuing but stalled.

Officials on both sides of yesterday’s talks, which were attended by the US ambassador, said the parties refused to give any ground.

After six weeks of unprecedented protests in Yemen, Saleh says he is willing to step aside in a peaceful transition of power, but has left himself room for maneuvering by adding the condition that he wants to leave the country in “safe hands.’’

In the TV interview, he insisted he would not leave the presidency “humiliated’’ and that even if he stepped down as president, he would remain head of his Congress Party, leaving the door open for his continued involvement in the nation’s politics.

“I will not give up on my supporters,’’ he said.

The protesters — whose ranks have been bolstered by defecting military commanders, lawmakers, Cabinet ministers, diplomats, and even Saleh’s own tribe — are insisting he go immediately. The demands and defections have only grown since government security forces shot more than 40 demonstrators to death in the capital of Sana a week ago.

That is very different from the brutal crackdown imposed by Bahrain's ruling Al Khalifa regime where security forces operating under martial law has effectively crushed the opposition.

Police have broken up small scattered protests in Manama, Bahrain's capital, using tear gas after calls for a "Day of Rage" were quashed by a heavy security force presence.

Helicopters, extra checkpoints on major highways and visible security forces appeared to have prevented any major demonstrations from gathering support.

A 71-year-old man died of asphyxiation in his home after police fired tear gas in the village of Mameer, the main Shia protest group said.

Al Jazeera's correspondent in Manama said: "As far as we can see there are clouds of tear gas that have been rising in recent minutes.

"People will march down the streets and a helicopter will appear, the police will move in, and people move indoors.

"Quite a tense situation here, but the call for the big protests ... seems to have been quashed by the authorities here.

"Some protesters tried to mess with the statue and at that point the police opened fire."

And in Syria, it's unknown as to who has the upper hand, protesters or President Bashar Assad.

Scores of Syrians were killed and injured as anti-government protests swept across the country, officials said.

Syrian troops reportedly entered the port town of Latakia Sunday, deploying in areas where protests occurred Saturday, Israel Radio reported.

Protesters used to mobile phones to film the carnage in Daraa Friday, Britain's Sunday Telegraph reported. Locals said at least 25 people were killed and hundreds were injured in their town alone, the newspaper said. Deaths were also reported in Homs, Latakia, Sanamein and Damascus. Exact numbers were not known.

Because the Syrian government barred the entry of foreign news networks, the images filmed by protesters could not be verified.

Three countries, three different situations, but all three unstable and people are being killed in all three countries.  It could explain why the US is so eager to hand over Libya to NATO...we have bigger problems over on the Arabian Peninsula.

[UPDATE]  BooMan catches former Dubya National Security Adviser Elliott Abrams laying the groundwork for pulling a Libya in Syria, one of the outcomes I warned about when I said "Hey, going into Libya may not be such a great idea."