Yemenis rejoice as Saleh flees

SCENES of mass jubilation have broken out in Yemen after President Ali Abdullah Saleh fled the country.

Officially, the pro-American dictator is in Saudi Arabia for medical treatment following a near-successful attempt on his life.

But the mood on the street is that phase one of the revolution has been completed and the country has followed in the footsteps of Tunisia and Egypt.

Reuters quoted one Egyptian revolutionary as saying: "This signifies the fall of the third Arab authoritarian regime and will give a massive boost to those fighting in Syria and Libya."

Egyptian political scientist Hassan Nafaa added: "The 'Arab Spring' will continue, Arab people are in a state of total rejection of their current ruling systems."

Israel 'backing Syrian ruler against protesters'

AS PEOPLE power in Syria threatens to topple autocratic leader President Assad, Israel is hoping that he stays in power.

That's the anaylsis in an article by Edmund Sanders in the Los Angeles Times.

He writes: "Syrian President Bashar Assad's race to tamp down public unrest is stirring anxiety in Israel that is even higher than its hand-wringing over Egypt's recent regime change.

"Unlike Israel and Egypt, Israel and Syria have no peace agreement, and Syria, with a large arsenal of sophisticated weapons, is one of Israel's strongest enemies.

"Though Israel has frequently criticized Assad for cozying up to Iran, arming Lebanon's Hezbollah movement and sheltering leaders of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, many in Israel think their country might be better off if Assad keeps the reins of power.

"Several Israeli government and military officials declined to speak in depth about Assad, fearing any comments could backfire given the strong anti-Israel sentiments in the Arab world.

"That's what happened when some Israeli officials attempted to bolster Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak before he resigned Feb. 11."

Meanwhile, Assad has been claiming that conspiracies involving Israel and the USA are behind the insurrection.

Protests countinue to mount and further bloodshed is predicted over the coming days as the President clings to power.

Arab drive for freedom cannot be stopped

CRACKDOWNS on protest merely postpone the day of reckoning – Arabs now have a shared, unstoppable drive for freedom.

That's the message from blogger and journalist Brian Whitaker in an article on the Guardian website.

He writes: "The fact that autocratic regimes in Libya, Bahrain and Yemen are fighting back with lethal force should surprise no one.

"The more surprising thing is that Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt – two leaders previously regarded as firmly entrenched – were toppled after such a short struggle.

"Nor does the fightback mean that the outlook for democracy is dimming across much of the Middle East. Looking at the region as a whole, the prospects have never been brighter.

"Even if Gaddafi does succeed in quelling the Libyan uprising, it will be no more than a temporary setback for the wider Arab revolution: battles are being fought in too many places and on too many different fronts for anyone to stop it now.

"An important factor in this is Arabs' sense of a common identity: they are aware of what is happening in neighbouring countries and draw inspiration from it with regard to their own situation.

"The sight of grandees from the old regimes in Tunisia and Egypt being arrested on sundry charges of corruption, money laundering and murder gives them hope and encouragement.

"Similarly, the opening up of free media in those countries is having an effect elsewhere: in Jordan last week, 600 journalists demonstrated against government interference and censorship.

"This kind of cross-fertilisation (or infection, as the regimes see it) is happening in many areas.

"Toppling two of the Middle East's tyrants in little more than two months is no mean achievement, and all the other regimes have been severely shaken – even those that claim to be secure.

"Initially, that raised hopes extraordinarily high and the regimes' fightback has injected a dose of realism. It does not mean the revolution is failing or fizzling out but it does show that many people were expecting too much too soon.

"The far-reaching changes that the Arab countries need are social as much as political – and that will take time. Even in Tunisia and Egypt there are protracted struggles ahead.

"But the old regimes cannot survive indefinitely. A few years from now most of them will be gone or transformed beyond recognition."