Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 10:37 | Scott Lucas in EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran Editor's Note (1349 GMT) --- because of the pace of events in Bahrain today, we have split this entry into "Bahrain Live Coverage Special: The Anniversary Protests" and "Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Shelling of Homs Continues".
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 10:24 | Scott Lucas in EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 
Syrian National Council, December 2011Syrians who want a solution should focus on channeling their energy towards reducing the impact of the fall of the regime rather than supporting the Syrian National Council/Free Syrian Army or supporting the regime out of fear of the “FSA”, the Islamists or the militants. Everyone should stop simply forcing the Syrians to chose between the Regime or SNC/FSA/Islamists. These are not the only options. Far from it.
They are multiple movements shaping and reshaping on weekly basis. Most activists are learning and maturing with time. They change their views and jump from one group to another according to events and developments. When one’s friend or family gets detained or killed, they move from peaceful to supporting violence. When you argue with those supporting violence they change their mind, etc. The movements are in constant change but you can notice the fast organic maturity.
See also Iran Feature: Two Sisters Try to Reach Their Country with Pop Music
The Latest from Iran (13 February): The Economic Squeeze
"Strong and Steadfast"2115 GMT: All the President's Men. The trial of Abbas Ghaffari and Mehdi Mohagheghi, both on the President's staff and accused of being in the "deviant current", has begun.
Ghaffari, the Friday Prayer leader for Ahmadinejad's office, and Mohagheghi was arrested last year and charged with "sorcery", "exorcism", and "blasphemy".
2025 GMT: Rafsanjani Watch. Minister of Science and Higher Education Kamran Daneshjoo has made an implicit threat against former President Hashemi Rafsanjani in the battle for control of Islamic Azad University.
Daneshjoo said that the Supreme Cultural Council of the Revolution will decide on several conditions that Rafsanjani has set over the University, adding that a speedy decision is necessary.
One of the clashes is over Rafsanjani's refusal to sign the mandate naming Daneshjoo's brother Farhad, appointed by President Ahmadinejad, as head of the University.
The Miami Model - a documentary on the militarised policing style developed by John Timoney
Bahrain Feature: Meet "Yates of the Yard", The Policeman Supervising "Reform"
Bahrain Feature: Rubber Bullets --- Another "Non-Lethal" Weapon For The Police
Tuesday's Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: A Year Ago at Pearl Roundabout
Today is the one-year anniversary of the Bahrain uprising, with large protests expected as people across the island head to the capital Manama and attempt to reoccupy Pearl Roundabout, the symbolic centre of the demonstrations.
With sectarian tensions on the increase in Bahrain, and propaganda becoming ever more inflammatory, the island is a potential tinder box. "Kettling" and the other methods of the security forces could inflame rather than pacify the situation.
Abjeez --- Melody and Safoura Safavi --- performing in Hamburg, March 2010
Though Safoura Safavi said they did not want to be merely a political band, she acknowledged that their activism was an important part of their music.
“Being an Iranian, you have no choice but to be political,” she said. “And being outside Iran, it’s our duty to speak up.”
2221 GMT: For several hours, activists have been reporting a security operation against the town of Taseel, in Daraa province, Syria. LCCS confirms that report, and also posts these details about the condition on the ground there.
Security forces have launched a security operation in the town since last Wednesday up until today. They launched a detention campaign where more than 50 men got arrested; one of them was Dr. Arshad Al-Qaddah. Also, a house-to-house raiding campaign of all the homes, public places in the town was launched. The pharmacies, clinics, commercial shops and private properties were subotaged amid sporadic gunfire and extensive deployment of fully-equipped security members and thugs (Shabeha). Snipers were deployed on the rooftops all around the town.
2210 GMT: Despite the daily bombardment of Homs, Syria, there have been almost nightly rallies such as these in the Qusour district, just a few blocks from some of the areas that have been intensely shelled in recent weeks:
Bahrain, Homs, Madaya, Tariq Al Hassan, Zabadani, Zainab Alkhawaja, protest, tear gas 
Hamza KashgariInterpol has been accused of abusing its powers after Saudi Arabia allegedly used the organisation's red notice system to get a journalist arrested in Malaysia for insulting the Prophet Muhammad.
Police in Kuala Lumpur said Hamza Kashgari, 23, was detained at the airport "following a request made to us by Interpol" the international police cooperation agency, on behalf of the Saudi authorities.
p>
Journalist and activist Henghameh Shahidi, serving a six-year sentence for "propaganda" and "actions against national security", speaking to a visitor in Evin Prison
2120 GMT: Claimed footage of Tehran residents chanting "Allahu Akbar (God is Great)" this evening:
2020 GMT: Cyber-Watch. How significant was the regime's tightening grip on the Internet from last Thursday, including the cut-off of services like Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and Hotmail?
The Tor Project, which assists users who face surveillance and filtering, offers this image:
Claimed video of a young man who was allegedly thrown from a roof by security forces:
See also Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: "The Reasonable Reaction to Provocation"
Saudi Feature: Did Interpol Help With Deportation of Hamza Kashgari? (Bowcott)
I note a profile in The Daily Telegraph of John Yates, the former Assistant Commissioner of London's Metropolitian Police who was appointed late last year to supervise "reform" of Bahrain's security forces after the abuses documented by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry.
The extended puff piece is so unusual, even surreal, that I am not sure it has its intended effect. It begins by noting that "Yates of the Yard...resigned from the Met last year" without giving the reason --- the Assistant Commissioner left amidst the "Hackergate" scandal surrounding News International's tapping of phones.
Then the policeman takes over. Echoing King Hamad, who said in an interview this weekend that there was no opposition in Bahrain, Yates comments, "This isn’t organised protests, it's just vandalism, rioting on the streets. Acts of wanton damage that are destroying the economy.” He explains, "The only danger is the women, they come up and run off with your baby. It’s the Bahrain way, so warm and hospitable, but quite disconcerting at first.”
But the most notable aspect of the publicity may be its timing, coming a day before the anniversary of the first mass protests against the regime. Yates explains, “The concept of reasonable reaction to provocation has been reinforced. Unless [the forces] face extraordinary provocation like last year, it will be about allowing people to gather and containment. It’s about learning techniques from other places like kettling – that would work really well around here.”
Bahrain, Damien McElroy, John Yates Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 9:39 | James Miller in EA Live, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran An armoured anti-aircraft gun fires at unknown targets in the Damascus suburb of Douma on Saturday
See also Syria 1st-Hand Feature: So While You Were Sleeping....
James Miller speaks to Al Jazeera about the Free Syrian Army
Saturday's Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: More Opposition, in More Places
1805 GMT: A Turkish court has imprisoned five people suspected of turning over Colonel Hussein Harmush, who defected and established an insurgent brigade in Turkey, to Syrian authorities.
The defendants include a member of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT). They are being investigated for “political espionage” and for deprivation of liberty of Harmush and another man who were allegedly taken from a refugee camp near the Syrian border “by force” and handed over to Syrian security forces.
In June 2011, Harmush became the first Syrian military officer to publicly declare his opposition to the Assad regime. He then established the Brigade of Free Officers.
