Bahrain Propaganda 101: Foreign Minister Gets a Boost from Washington's Journalists

On Wednesday, during a talk by Bahraini activist Maryam Al Khawaja, I ventured the comment that the "success" of the Bahraini regime's propaganda effort would not come through social media, where its supporters' efforts have become a source of annoyance at "trolling" or of comedy. Nor was Bahrain's monarchy getting much value of the US and British PR firms who, for quite expensive contracts, were trying to dress up State press releases as "news" and putting out clumsy opinion pieces on The Huffington Post.

Instead, I suggested, the "success" would come through mainstream Washington journalists. Sometimes this is through the re-cycling of the regime's claims, citing unnamed sources --- see the recent effort by David Ignatius of The Washington Post. Sometimes, it is the attempt by a regime official to use an article as a podium for the right line.

Josh Rogin of Foreign Policy magazine gives us an example of the latter with his "Bahrain Foreign Minister on DC Charm Offensive"....

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Iran Caption Competition: Little Girl Gets an Ahmadinejad Hug

President Ahmadinejad, on a tour of eastern Iran this week, finds a girl to hug. Over to you, dear Reader, for the appropriate caption....

EA on the Road: Returning from "Internet and Democratic Change" in Sweden

I am returning from Stockholm after the valuable discussions at the "Internet and Democratic Change" conference,

While I am on the road, James Miller will be holding the EA fort. Updates may be limited, however, and we thank readers for bringing in information and ideas via the Comments section.

Syria, Yemen (and Beyond): Child Martyrs and Broken Promises

1952 GMT: It may not look like much, but this video could be significant. The LCCS reports that this was taken in Kafar Zeta, Hama, and the cameraman holds sign with today's date. There have been reports of defections in the area, and gunfire can be heard in the city. The scene is otherwise quiet, suggesting that whoever is shooting is not shooting at protesters. Also, at one point tracer fire can be seen, suggesting that this conflict is more serious than the gunfire in the foreground. It appears that fires can be seen in the distance:

1949 GMT: Activists report a large evening protest in the Damascus suburb of Harasta:

1940 GMT: The video claims to show that Assad's supporters were actually bused to the event in Lattakia today. From the details in the video, there is no way of verifying that report:

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The Latest from Iran (27 October): Is US Government "Supporting the People"?

1723 GMT: Well, as at least one reader predicted, MP Larijani dismissed Hillary Clinton's recent statements, arguing that the democrats were trying to distract the world from their own financial and economic problems, and that these statements were just another sign that Zionists were trying to overcome American isolationism.

1700 GMT: A carefully planned trip by an EU delegation to Tehran has been cancelled because the delegates were not granted Iranian visas. The reason why the visas did not arrive was not immediately clear:

Europe's parliamentary delegation was preparing to speak with parliamentarians, government officials and representatives of civil society in Iran, on issues including Iran's nuclear program, human rights, energy, environment, national security and the upcoming parliamentary elections.

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Occupy Wall Street (& Beyond): From Oakland to Atlanta, City Officials Crack Down on Protests (McKinley/Goodnough)

Streaming live video by Ustream

LiveStream from Occupy San Francisco in California

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UPDATE 0730 GMT: Developments in Oakland and San Francisco in California: in Oakland, demonstrators have returned to the square which was cleared out by police on Tuesday night, although they have prevented --- through the closing of roads from marching on San Francisco.

In San Francisco, protesters are rallying on Market Street, despite rumours that police will move on the area.

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Syria Special: Will the Kurds Join the Uprising? (Zalewski)

http://bit.ly/svvLWo

Time Magazine's Piotr Zalewski investigates the increasingly mobilized Kurdish protest movement in northern Syria, particularly after the death of Kurdish leader Mashaal Tammo. Zalewski asks whether the Kurds will join in the uprising, and whether that uprising will become a violent one.

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"I am sick, I cannot sleep," says Hervin Ose, fighting back tears as she remembers her friend and fellow Syrian Kurdish activist, Mashaal Tammo. "Till now I cannot believe he is not here. Sometimes I even try to call him, sometimes I wait for him to call me."

On Friday Oct. 7, Hervin met Tammo at a friend's house in Qamishli, a Kurdish-majority town in northeastern Syria, just across the border from Turkey. "He had a sadness about him," she recalls, speaking via Skype. Tammo, one of the few Syrian Kurdish leaders to have openly called for the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al Assad, had recently escaped an assassination attempt. Now he spoke as if he was going away on a long trip. "My message is finished in this life," he told her. Before taking his leave Tammo even snapped a few pictures of his friend. "I wondered," says Hervin. "He'd never taken a photo of me before."

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Iran Video: Hillary Clinton with Voice of America's Parazit

As part of a major public-relations push which also included an interview with BBC Persian, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was interviewed by the Voice of America's Parazit programme, taking questions submitted via the Internet.

Opening with remarks about Iran's "military dictatorship" and her sadness that the greatness of the Iranian people was held back by the "narrow-mindedness" of the regime, Clinton discussed US policy towards Syria and then gave this take-away statement on Washington's position on Iran's internal affairs:

We're not seeking a conflict with the regime in Iran. We're seeking to support the people of Iran, by doing so on the outside through our assertions that their aspirations for freedom are legitimate, by providing tool to circumvent the electronic curtain that the regime has tried to impose on Iran.

The Latest from Iran (26 October): It's All About US Crimes....

2250 GMT: Reality or Illusion Watch. Prominent Iranian academic Sadegh Zibakalam, speaking at the Tehran Media Exhibit, said the "Islamic Awakening" --- declared by the Supreme Leader to be inspiring movements across North Africa and the Middle East --- is an illusion of the Islamic Republic. Zibakalam said the real significance of events is that Arab people are fed up with dictatorship.

1810 GMT: The Plot. In a speech in South Khorasan Province in eastern Iran, President Ahmadinejad has said the "Iranian nation is very kind and just and does not need to terrorist acts".

Responding to US accusations that Tehran planned the assassination of the Saudi Ambassador to Washington, Ahmadinejad asserted, "Every time the Iranian nation moves toward the peaks of progress, its enemies grab it with their teeth showing." He turned the charge of assassination against others, claiming they had killed Iranian scientists.

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EA WebCast: The "Internet and Democratic Change" Conference in Sweden

The conference has now concluded. Many thanks to all who followed today --- archived videos of the sessions should be available by this weekend.