A rally last night in Harasta, northeast of Damascus
On the face of it, Damascus is calm. The bloodiest frontlines of the revolution may be in Homs, Hama, Idlib and Deraa, but the appearance of normality in the capital is deceptive. Intrigue, fear and anger are just below the surface.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 8:52 | John Horne in EA Global, EA Iran, EA Middle East and Turkey, EA USA Joan Baez sings "We Shall Overcome", with some lyrics in Persian, for the people of Iran
See also: A Resolution for a 2012 WorldView: A Global Community Built On Communication, Not Conflict
Last week, we noted a link by Nabeel Rajab, the head of the Bahrain Center of Human Rights, linked via Twitter to Pete Seeger singing "We Shall Overcome":
This is a song close to our hearts, with a message that is both universal and relevant to today. More than anything, it is filled with hope: if "we are not afraid...we shall live in peace some day...the whole wide world around".
We wanted to spread that message as far as possible. So we have created a version which is subtitled in Arabic.
Pete Seeger - We Shall Overcome | أغنية سوف ننتصر - بيتر سيجر
Click "Select Language" to access Arabic subtitles. We thank @BahrainSwallow for their help translating the lyrics.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 8:42 | Scott Lucas in EA Global, Journalism and Media, Music and Culture 
When a state --- be it Bahrain, Israel, Syria or China --- needs to stoop to the level of paying citizens to fight its public relations wars, it has already lost.
Some Iranians inside and outside the country have tried to highlight the immorality and ineffectiveness of the Iranian intelligence service, which displays outmost strength in interrogating and imprisoning Iranian citizens for their political views and peaceful activities but has proved powerless in securing the country against acts of terrorism. In the current international climate, however, it is not hard to understand why these voices have gone unheard.
Nabeel Rajab speaks to crowd at the mass gathering of Bahraini political societies, 12 January
See also Bahrain Special: The Steel Rods of the Police
Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Meaningless Amnesty, Cosmetic Speech?
I think that we are entering a new phase of activism. We are entering a phase in which we have to escalate our activism work as individuals, organizations, activists and human rights defenders. The regime has undoubtedly gotten used to the current rhythm of protests, just like a body that gets used to certain drugs. The regime got used to these gatherings and to the small village protests that it ends and disperses using tear gas. At the same time it tries to mislead the world public opinion in saying that Bahrain does not have any problems except for some small protests inside the villages and these gatherings.
We have to be clear in our speech. Our problem is not with the Prime Minister, nor with the government of the Prime Minister, whom are all merely employees. Our problem is with the King of Bahrain.
Friday protests in the Akramiye neighborhood in Aleppo, once thought to be an Assad stronghold
With Arab League observers in Syria, the Ministry of Information sponsoring a trip for Western journalists (which led to the death of France reporter Gilles Jacquier), and with the reporting of eyewitnesses and activists, the world has its sharpest look into the crisis in Syria. But what does it see, 10 months into the crisis?
Initially, the protests in Syria were fairly large, and reports of violence were far less. It was unclear whether the violencat against the protesters was the work of local leaders of security forces, individual police officers, or a systemic approach by the regime to deter dissent.
As the violence escalated, the third answer was the right one, but what was remarkable was that the protests continued.
Aleppo, Damascus, Protest movement, Syria, peaceful Demonstration after evening prayers in the Khalidiya district of Homs
See also A Song of Global Hope: We Shall Overcome أغنية سوف ننتصر
Bahrain Special: Nabeel Rajab's Speech "Our Problem is with the King"
Syria Special: The State of the Uprising, 10 Months On --- The Protests
Bahrain Special: The Steel Rods of the Police
Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The King's Speech
2155 GMT: At this moment, several EA source are reporting that the Syrian army is still besieging the city of Zabadani. The LCCS is also posting these reports:
Zabadani has been under shelling since 6 AM this morning by all kinds of light and heavy weaponry, which caused 5 houses to be totally destroyed and more than 13 injuries. There are areas which were shelled and are inaccessible due to heavy shooting, today Jisr cafe, houses in the western ally and some main streets were targeted.
The city is witnessing a strong movement of displaced people to the nearby areas and the number of displaced families reached about 250 family.
Also, state security forces liquidated 15 soldiers today for refusing to shoot at civilians. Military reinforcements arrived to the city: about 25 tanks and large number of troops carriers (of Zil brand), 20 tanks from brigade 62 in Jdaidet Yaboos have moved towards the city. Regime’s military forces shelled the town of Madaya using the armored vehicles positioned in Francis area in Zabadany landscape.
According to sources, electricity is cut, and food and medical supplies are thin.
LCCS also reports defections in the area, including a whole unit, about 25 soldiers, that defected all at once.
EA sources have been able to confirm the presence of Free Syrian Army soldiers in the area, though it is unclear whether the siege started before they arrived, or whether they traveled to the area in order to defend the city.
Ashgar Farhadi's Nader and Simin: A Separation wins Best Foreign Film at the Golden Globe Awards last night --- in his acceptance speech, Farhadi says simply, "Iran is truly a loving people"
2103 GMT: All-Is-Well Alert. Mohsen Qamsari, the head of international affairs at the National Iranian Oil Company, has insisted that Iran is maintaining the sale of oil to Asian countries despite US pressure for tightened sanctions.
Qamsari said, "The one-year contract with Korean companies to buy our oil has been renewed since the last two months."
Earlier this month, officials said refiners in South Korea --- which buys about 10% of its crude from Iran --- were looking for alternatives.
Asked whether Japan had reduced its oil imports from Iran, Qamsari said, "It is not true. The time for renewal of contracts with the Japanese is around March and they are buying 240,000 barrels from us per day."
The official also denied any problems doing business with India, even though there have been problems over payment arrangements for more than a year.
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 4:50 | Marc Owen Jones in EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran Police in Bahrain caught on camera throwing metal rods
See also Bahrain Special: Nabeel Rajab's Speech "Our Problem is with the King"
Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Meaningless Amnesty, Cosmetic Speech?
It is not an understatement to say that an undisciplined police force who fail to adhere to a strict code of conduct are no more than a group of thugs themselves. After all, without such strict codes of behaviour, only a uniform separates the police from the plain clothed baltajiyya.
The regime is facing a crisis of legitimacy, and as Government legitimacy declines, the question "who are the security forces actually protecting?" becomes more pertinent.
Footage from today's funeral in Bahrain of 57-year-old Salma Abdul Muhsen of Barbar --- activists claim she died from tear gas inhalation last night
See also Syria 1st-Hand: With the Monitors in Zabadani "A City Under Siege"
Syria Interview: Activist "LeShaque" on Social Media and the Syrian Revolution
Bahrain Propaganda 101: The Countess of Wessex, a New PR Firm, and a Former British Ambassador
Bahrain Document: A List of 56 People Killed Since 14 February 2011
Saturday's Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) Live Coverage: A University Under Curfew
2045 GMT: Claimed footage of Bahraini police vehicles charging female protesters in Barbar, after today's funeral of Salma Abdul Muhsen:
2005 GMT: Claimed footage of a massive explosion in Insha'at in Homs Province today:
