Bahrain Special: The Steel Rods of the Police

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?

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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.

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Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Assad "It Wasn't Me"

See also Western Journalists Inside Syria: A Video Record of Everyday Crimes

Bahrain, Uzbekistan (and Beyond) Special: Bell Pottinger, PR Agency for the Regimes, is Busted
Bahrain Feature: Today's Revival of Mass Protests
Wednesday's Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Uncertainty and Deaths in Homs

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2131 GMT: We close the LiveBlog with this report, just 22 minutes old:

"very huge EXPLOSION just hit the southern part of #Syria n central city of #Homs . . my windows were horribly shaking"

Looks like it will be another violent Friday in Syria...

2005 GMT: The new Egyptian interior minister has pledged not to use teargas or live ammo against protesters:

Major General Mohamed Ibrahim Yusuf, the former director of security in the Giza governorate, told the local Arabic newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm that he will not use the gas or any firearms on protesters.

Yusuf was selected by new Prime Minister Kamel al-Ganzouri, who was chosen by the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to form a new government after the previous one resigned as a result of the Tahrir Square violence.

We don't have the heart to tell Yusuf that the interior ministry has already made that pledge, and SCAF has denied attacking protesters.

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