Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Explosions in Damascus

Images from Syrian State TV of this morning's explosions in Damascus

See also Friday's Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Anticipating Today's Protests

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1800 GMT: As confirmation comes through of the arrest of the former head of intelligence of Libya's Qaddafi regime, there is a scramble over who will try him on criminal charges.

Mauritanian authorities arrested Abdullah al-Senussi, as he arrived on an overnight flight from the Moroccan city of Casablanca (see 1125 GMT).

Al-Senussi has been sought by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity. However, Libya's National Transitional Council want to put him on trial, and France is also seeking his extradition, citing his alleged role in the 1989 bombing of an airliner over Niger in which 54 French nationals died.

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Iran Feature: A Beginner's Guide to the Squeeze on Tehran's Money (Recknagel)

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On March 15, SWIFT agreed with the European Union not to forward messages to any Iranian bank or individual that is blacklisted by the bloc.

That bans some 30 Iranian banks from the global financial network, banks which Tehran currently depends upon to import and export goods and, most importantly, sell its oil internationally.

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The Latest from Iran (16 March): The Oil Squeeze

See also Iran Video Interview: Leading Official Larijani on the Nuclear "Grand Bargain"
The Latest from Iran (15 March): OK, Folks, Show's Over....

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2109 GMT: The Battle Within. According to Serat News, the battle over the next Speaker of Parliament has started --- Hamid Rasaei of the Islamic Constancy Front said an effort will be made to force out Ali Larijani as the head of the Majlis.

2100 GMT: Political Personality Watch. It looks like Ali Motahari, the conservative MP who has led criticism of the President, has gotten a boost in recognition from the campaign --- he is second in voting amongst Khabar Online readers for Personality of the Iranian Year.

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Syria 1st-Hand: How Abuse Created an Insurgent (Gunn)

Raw footage from the battle for Idlib

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Released after six days, Abu Youssef's feet were swollen "like footballs." The shoes he had been wearing when seized from outside his local mosque no longer fit. 

Far from cowing him, the Assad regime had created another enemy. Within a week this soft-spoken, formerly apolitical construction foreman was organising Friday protests in his hometown of Darkush, just a few miles from the Turkish border.

Abu Youssef's activism continues to this day, even as the settlement of 17,000 people is encircled by Syrian tanks, the country's death toll rockets, and peaceful protests seem a relic of more innocent times.

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Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Anticipating Today's Protests

2115 GMT: We close our live coverage with this thought...

One year ago the protests started, and in the last week alone new towns and cities have joined the uprising. Protests today were large, defiant, and were in every area of the country. Even Aleppo and Damascus are now host to regular protests, and the areas around these citties are opposition strongholds. Even forcing government workers to attend pro-government rallies cannot net Assad the large crowds of support that he once enjoyed. More people are joining the protests, and more people who are not in the opposition are refusing to speak up in support of the government.

The violence is not working. The opposition is not going anywhere. The debate about how to end this crisis rages, but the crowds are undeterred. Without intervention, next Friday there will be huge protests in nearly every area of Syria. A month from now, with our without intervention, that will not change. Will it change in 6 months? In 12? In 18? The protests have only a single trend - with every passing month, more people die, and more people join the Syrian uprising.

This is the fact that most analysis overlooks. No matter what the international community does, until Bashar al Assad is out of power there will be protests. And unless foreign nations stop him, Assad will continue to shoot and arrest the protesters. This is the cycle that will not end anytime soon. This is the only certainty of the crisis in Syria.

All other information is less certain - but all other information is arguably less important.

2100 GMT: An activist shares a jubilant video from a protest in rural Aleppo, reportedly earlier today:

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Iran Video Interview: Leading Official Larijani on the Nuclear "Grand Bargain"

Mohammad Javad Larijani, the head of the human rights section of Iran's judiciary, is interviewed by Christiane Amanpour of CNN.

Don't expect anything on human rights, however. Amanpour's attention, reflecting a media emphasis on "war" v. the possible resumption of discussions with Tehran, is almost exclusively on Iran's nuclear programme.

And on that, Larijani's line --- which would not be put out without the backing of the Supreme Leader --- is that Iran is ready for a "grand bargain", provided its right to uranium enrichment is recognised.

Syria Video: Stop One Year of Bloodshed

Today is the one year anniversary of the first protests in Syria, an organized rally in Daraa. Since that day, conservatives estimates of the amount of people killed in the resulting crackdown range from 8,000 to 12,000. EA's estimate is closer to 11,000, but some activists claim to have lists over nearly 20,000 dead. Beyond this, countless are wounded, and perhaps more than 100,000 political prisoners remain in detention, where allegations of torture, or worse, are always whispered.

There have been many video campaigns to commemorate the event. The one below, a collection of videos from the conflict and statements by western celebrities, was sent to EA by super-activist Rami al Jarrah.

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Turkey Live Coverage (15 March): Refugees Flowing from Syria

1900 GMT: Rakel Dink, wife of Hrant Dink (a Turkish citizen of Armenian decent) who was murdered due to his writings in the bilingual newspaper Agos, said that the Dink case is Turkey's face-off case and criticized that the government for "responding with gas bombs to tears." Dink continued:

My mind has always been stuck in the pre-murder period. All signs are already taking me there. Those threats... These were not just to scare.Those increasing number of protests in front of Agos since 2005 and a Prime Minister, an Interior Minister, a Justice Minister, an intelligence, a police who had not seen all. 

1825 GMT: According to a high Dutch administrative court verdict, Turkish citizens visiting Netherlands on business need no visa and they can stay for up to three months.

1745 GMT: Having Armenia decided to withdraw from the Eurovision song contest which will be held in Azerbaijan this year, Minister of EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagıs said: 

Turkey would prefer Armenia to pull out of Nagorno-Karabakh, rather than from the Eurovision song contest. I think they should revise their decision.

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The Latest from Iran (15 March): OK, Folks, Show's Over....

See also Iran Analysis: Who Won Ahmadinejad's Non-Interrogation? The Supreme Leader.
Iran Feature: What a Joke(r) --- Replaying Ahmadinejad's Defiance in Parliament
The Latest from Iran (14 March): Questioning Ahmadinejad

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1545 GMT: Sanctions Watch. Obama Administration officials are putting out the line that sanctions may be imposed on India for failure o reduce its purchases of Iranian oil.

The officials said a decision to levy penalties could come as early as 28 June.

In response to the pressure, Indian officials said Delhi has not significantly cut imports because refiners’ annual crude term deals with Iran typically run from April to March. The planned reductions will start when new annual contracts begin next month.

Curiously, Bloomberg reports that "the U.S. government may not be aware that India’s biggest buyer of Iranian oil, state-owned Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd. (MRPL), plans to import less from Iran starting next month, according to two officials with direct knowledge of the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak".

MRPL's plans are far from private --- EA reported on them earlier this month.

India bought an average of 328,000 barrels a day of Iranian crude in the first six months of last year, making it the third-largest customer, behind China and Japan.

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Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Intervention?

2109 GMT: Another important video, reportedly taken in Aleppo today. This comes via NPR's Ahmed al Omran:

Video shows security forces (or thugs) opening fire, reportedly in Aleppo today youtube.com/watch?v=KwvLMM… #SYRIA

— Ahmed Al Omran (@ahmed) March 15, 2012

2101 GMT: A Syrian activist sends us this video, reportedly showing a night protest in the Abu Rammaneh district of Damascus, one of the wealthiest areas of the capital city.

2050 GMT: An EA source Tweets that there has been a shooting in Raqqa, and 2-5 have been killed in the incident:

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