Bahrain govt and opposition to meet

Bahrain's main Shiite opposition group says it will present fair demands at the talksThe National Dialogue will focus on reaching consensus on reformBahrain has seen months of unrest, with many suspected pro-reform protesters arrestedThe Shiite minority complains of discrimination by the ruling Sunni elite

(CNN) -- Bahrain's government and the opposition are expected to start talks Saturday in a bid to agree on reforms following months of unrest in the Gulf state.

Representatives of the main Shiite opposition group, Al Wefaq, are among more than 300 people expected to join the so-called National Dialogue initiative, called for by Bahrain's King Hamad.

The dialogue will focus on reform, with the aim of reaching a consensus on how to achieve it.

The Al Wefaq bloc said it planned to present what it sees as fair demands.

Its secretary-general told a rally of thousands Friday that the group would stick to its demands, which include the immediate release of all political prisoners and a democratic government for all.

Bahrain's majority Shiite community has long complained of discrimination by the ruling Sunni elite.

Sheikh Isa Qassim, the country's senior Shiite cleric, said in his Friday sermon that if Al Wefaq participated in the dialogue, it must make progress in supporting and putting into practice grass-roots demands.

He said the group should withdraw from such talks if it was not producing results.

The head of an independent commission appointed by King Hamad to investigate charges of human rights abuses during recent government crackdowns on pro-reform protesters vowed Thursday to carry out a fair, methodical and transparent investigation.

"Everything that has happened since the events started in February will be part of the commission," said Mahmoud Cherif Bassiouni, a law professor and United Nations war crimes expert.

He pledged to follow international standards in investigating alleged abuses and praised the king for setting up the commission.

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Libya opposition says need more weapons (AP)

By DAVID STRINGER and GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press David Stringer And George Jahn, Associated Press – 9 mins ago

LONDON – Libya's opposition leader said Thursday that rebels needed more weapons and funding, as China and Russia raised concerns over revelations that France had supplied arms to civilians fighting Moammar Gadhafi's forces.

Mahmoud Jibril, of Libya's Transitional National Council, said foreign deliveries of military hardware would give the rebels a chance to "decide this battle quickly (and) to spill as little blood as possible."

French military spokesman Col. Thierry Burkhard said Wednesday that France had airlifted weapons to Libyan civilians in a mountain region south of Tripoli. The deliveries of guns, rocket-propelled grenades and munitions took place in early June in the western Nafusa mountains, when Gadhafi's troops had encircled civilians.

Gadhafi's Prime Minister Al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi predicted that France "will suffer for this," saying that the weapons could end up in the hands of terrorists.

"Many more French citizens will die because of these acts," al-Mahmoudi told a small group of reporters in Tripoli, according to a partial transcript of his remarks obtained by The Associated Press.

China and Russia have both questioned whether or not the supplying of weapons breached the terms of the United Nations Security Council resolution that authorizes international action in Libya.

Sergey Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, said his ministry had asked France for further details. "We are awaiting a response. If it is confirmed, it's a flagrant violation," of the resolution, he said.

Russia abstained in the U.N. vote on Libya and has voiced concern about civilian casualties and excessive use of force during the NATO-led aircampaign which began in March.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei did not mention France by name, but told reporters that nations should not overstep the remit of the U.N. resolutions.

"China calls on the international community to strictly follow the spirit of the relevant resolution of the U.N. Security Council and avoid taking any action that goes beyond the mandate of the resolution," he said.

Britain's government has insisted that the French decision to supply weapons fell within the terms of the U.N. resolutions.

Jalal el-Gallal, spokesman for Libya's opposition council, also said he believed France had acted correctly. "China has the right to disagree but the U.N. resolution stipulates whatever means necessary to protect civilians," he said.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague announced Thursday the U.K. was sending 5,000 sets of body armor, 6,650 uniforms, 5,000 high-visibility vests and communications equipment to police officers in rebel-held areas.

He said the new supplies would help Libya's opposition protect civilians and the growing community of diplomats and aid workers in eastern Libya.

Police will be able to "better protect Transitional National Council representatives and the significant international and NGO communities in Benghazi, Misrata and other areas of Libya" under opposition control, Hague said.

In Austria, where Jibril was meeting with Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger, the rebel leader warned that unless the opposition council receives large amounts of foreign money, schools will not be able to open later this year. It follows warnings from the rebels that hospitals are also running short on cash and supplies.

Earlier this week, the opposition was handed an initial $100 million in donor money to pay for salaries and fuel. The international contact group on Libya has already pledged to supply more than $1.3 billion for Libya's opposition.

Austrian officials, who asked for anonymity because their information was sensitive, said the government was ready to unfreeze some of the billions of dollars frozen in Austrian accounts and funnel them to the rebels but only after making sure that such a move did not violate laws prohibiting the rights of the account holders, many of them private citizens.

___

Jahn reported from Vienna. David Nowak in Moscow, Rami al-Shaheibi in Benghazi, Libya and Adam Schreck in Tripoli contributed to this report.

___

David Stringer can be reached at http://bit.ly/b2tTK0

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Bahrain opposition figures given life sentences (Reuters)

MANAMA (Reuters) – Bahrain sentenced eight prominent Shi'ite Muslim activists and opposition leaders to life in prison on Wednesday on charges of plotting a coup during protests in the Gulf island kingdom earlier this year.

The sentencing stoked tensions in the kingdom, where small groups of demonstrators have held daily protests since emergency law was lifted on June 1, and may undermine a national dialogue planned by King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa to start next month.

"No dialogue with al-Khalifa! We demand the release of the prisoners," shouted some 100 protesters in one village near the capital Manama, before riot police broke up the demonstration.

In all 21 defendants, six of them tried in absentia, were charged with plotting to overthrow the government by force in collusion with "a terrorist organization" working for a foreign country. They can appeal the sentences.

Seconds after the verdict was issued, one of the defendants lined up in grey prison suits shouted: "We will continue our peaceful struggle." Other defendants responded by shaking their fists and shouting "peaceful, peaceful."

Policemen hustled them from the courtroom. Some relatives responded by chanting the Muslim rallying cry "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) and one woman was dragged out of the chamber.

Among those who received life sentences was Shi'ite dissident Hassan Mushaimaa, leader of the hardline opposition group Haq, and Abduljalil al-Singace, from the same party. Haq joined two other groups in calling for the overthrow of the monarchy during mass protests in February and March.

Abdel Wahab Hussain, head of Wafa, another group that called for a republic, was also jailed for life. Ibrahim Sharif, Sunni Muslim leader of the secular leftist Waad party, received five years in prison. Waad and Bahrain's largest Shi'ite opposition group Wefaq had called for reform of the monarchy.

Danish-Bahraini citizen Abdulhady al-Khawaja, a rights activist, also received a life sentence, in the presence of several foreign diplomats who said the Danish embassy had not been granted access to Khawaja.

Bahrain's government said in a statement the "sentencing sends a message that law and order will be preserved.

"The defendants convicted today do not represent any significant number of the population, who actually believe that the way forward is through dialogue and peaceful means."

The United States, whose Fifth Fleet is based in Bahrain, criticized the sentences. "We are concerned about the severity of the sentences handed down," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. "We're also concerned about the use of military courts to try these civilians."

Britain, too, expressed concern that civilians were being tried before military judges. Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt said Ibrahim Sharif was "a prominent moderate politician who has been a constructive participant in Bahraini politics and represents a registered political party."

The U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists condemned as "political score-settling" the charges against the defendants, who included two bloggers.

"It is now incumbent on the international community, and particularly the kingdom's closest allies, to unambiguously convey to Bahrain that such blatant contempt for basic rights will not be tolerated," the group said in a statement.

PROTESTERS OUTRAGED

Bahrain's Sunni rulers, backed by forces from neighboring Sunni Gulf Arab states, crushed weeks of protests, mostly by majority Shi'ites, in March. Manama says the demonstrators had a

had a sectarian agenda backed by Shi'ite power Iran.

The opposition denies this, saying the protests aimed only to bring about democratic reform in the island monarchy.

Helicopters buzzed above Shi'ite villages and police armed with sound grenades and tear gas sought to snuff out protests.

In the island of Sitra, a hotspot for protests, youths blocked police cars by strewing cinder blocks, nails and wooden cupboards along village roads.

"I was furious at the nerve of the ruling family that they would give life sentences and then ask us to go to talks," said one woman protester named Maryam. "They were our symbols and the government chose to crush them. What does that say for us?"

Young men behind her regrouped in a protracted cat-and-mouse game with police. "Down, down (King) Hamad," they shouted.

Some observers have suggested King Hamad may try to cool tensions before the dialogue by granting a general amnesty to many of those jailed in recent trials.

In a statement, Wefaq said "these sentences will create an eternal political crisis without a quick ... solution."

Earlier, Wefaq spokesman Khalil al-Marzouq said Wefaq would not meet the government's Thursday deadline for responding to the invitation to dialogue, and could not say if it would join.

"Those people are a critical portion of the movement. How can there be a dialogue while they are in prison?" he asked.

(Additional reporting by Tabassum Zakaria in Washington; Editing by Alistair Lyon)

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Bahrain opposition activists jailed for life

Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa said he was seeking a national dialogue with protesters last month.Defendants are forcibly taken out of court after the verdictThe verdicts come after human rights groups have urged Bahrain to stop the trials"This court does not meet international standards for human rights," an activist says

(CNN) -- A Bahrain court sentenced eight Shiite opposition activists to life imprisonment after finding them guilty of plotting to overthrow the country's Sunni royal family, state media said Wednesday.

They were among 21 people who were tried and convicted on terrorism-related charges in connection with the anti-government protests in the country, the Bahrain News Agency said.

Soon after the judge read the verdict, the defendants protested loudly -- prompting officials to forcibly remove them from the courtroom.

Zainab al-Khawaja, a spectator, disputed her father's life sentence by yelling "God is Great" and was arrested.

Most defendants hauled before Bahrain's special military court are facing blatantly political charges, and trials are unfair.
--Joe Stork, Human Rights Watch.

Rights groups have urged Bahrain to halt the special military court proceedings, with Human Rights Watch deeming them a violation of international law.

"Most defendants hauled before Bahrain's special military court are facing blatantly political charges, and trials are unfair," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

In a meeting earlier this month with U.S. President Barack Obama last week, Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa pledged he is seeking national dialogue with the protesters.

Bahrain's crackdown contradicts statements the prince made, Human Rights Watch said.

Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab also said he disapproved of the trials.

"This court does not meet international standards for human rights and for fair trials. The people were sentenced for expressing their opinion and for opposing the government," Rajab said. "This goes against the government saying it wants a dialogue."

Bahrain is one of several Middle Eastern and North African countries embroiled in anti-government protests. The ruling royal family -- Sunnis in a majority-Shiite nation -- accuses protesters of being motivated by sectarian differences and supported by Iran.

Also on trial in Bahrain are dozens of doctors and nurses who are accused of taking control of a hospital during the anti-government protests, storing weapons and keeping people prisoner.

The doctors, their lawyers and international human rights activists say the defendants were tortured to extract confessions against a background of demonstrations in the kingdom.

From CNN's Jenifer Fenton

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Yemen opposition in talks with VP over transition (Reuters)

SANAA (Reuters) – Yemen's political opposition held talks with the country's acting leader on Monday in a bid to defuse months of violent political deadlock over the future of veteran leader President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Saleh, forced to seek medical treatment in Saudi Arabia for wounds suffered in an attack on his palace earlier this month, has refused to leave office despite nearly six months of street protests and many diplomatic attempts to remove him.

The ensuing political paralysis and long-standing conflicts with Islamist insurgents, separatists and rebel tribesmen have fanned Western and regional fears of Yemen collapsing into chaos and giving al Qaeda a stronghold alongside oil shipping routes.

A member of a group of opposition parties calling on Saleh to formally step down, who declined to be identified, said the meeting aimed to resurrect a plan by Yemen's oil-rich Gulf neighbors to ease the president out.

"It's to discuss a means to carry out the Gulf initiative and transfer power to the vice president," he said before talks began. A member of that coalition on Sunday said vice president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was refusing to meet with them.

Saleh on three previous occasions backed out of that plan at the last minute. It envisioned him leaving office inside a month, with a guarantee of immunity from prosecution.

Fierce street battles between Saleh's security forces and those of General Ali al-Mohsen al-Ahmar, who abandoned the president in March, engulfed the capital when the most recent bid for an agreed political transition collapsed last month.

A ceasefire has held in Sanaa since Saleh left following the June 3 attack on his palace.

Over 200 people were killed and thousands fled during two weeks of clashes between his loyalists and the forces of tribal leader Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar, who also backs the protesters.

Sanaa is now dangerously short of fuel, electricity and water, and violence in a southern province -- whose capital Islamist gunmen seized last month -- has worsened.

DISPLACED SLEEPING IN SCHOOLS

Yemen's army killed 21 al Qaeda members in the southern province of Abyan on Saturday, 18 of them in Zinjibar, the provincial capital that fell. Ten soldiers were killed in fighting there and another city, Lawdar, state media said.

At least four soldiers and several gunmen were killed in running battles in Zinjibar on Sunday. An army officer was killed near the southern port city of Aden when an unidentified assailant threw a grenade at him, a security official said.

Yemen's government, itself paralyzed in the broader political standoff, is struggling to provide medicine and other essentials to people who have fled Zinjibar.

At least 10,000 have taken refuge in Aden, many of them sleeping in schools. The U.N. children's agency UNICEF warned last week that the number of displaced may hit 40,000.

Opposition parties have said they will form their own transitional assembly within a week if Saleh does not cede power. It is not clear whether those parties have any significant influence over many of the protesters.

His opponents have accused him of handing over Zinjibar to Islamists to reinforce his threat that the end of his three-decade rule, as demanded by protesters, would amount to ceding the region to al Qaeda.

Saleh has not been seen in public since the palace attack, which left him with burns and shrapnel wounds. Yemen's ambassador in London said on Saturday that he was recovering and in stable condition.

Saudi medical sources and Yemeni officials said Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Megawar and another cabinet member injured in the palace attack had undergone further surgery and described their condition as "serious."

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Egypt opposition leader may not run for president (AP)

CAIRO – Egyptian pro-democracy campaigner Mohamed ElBaradei said in a televised interview aired Sunday he is not sure he will run for president, because there has not been not enough debate about the future of the country.

ElBaradei, the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is a favorite of some leaders of the uprising that unseated President Hosni Mubarak, but polls show he has little electoral support. He inspired many of the protesters who took part in the 18-day uprising that forced President Hosni Mubarak to step down in February.

"I don't want to run for president just to be president. I want to reform this country," he said. "I want to run. But my red line is I don't want to be part of a stage setting," a reform-like cover for continuing the traditional way of running the country.

The Mubarak regime was faulted for corruption, widespread human rights abuses, cronyism and poor handling of the nation's economy.

ElBaradei was speaking on a TV program aired on the private ONTV station Sunday. He announced in March on the same station that he would run for president only if a real democratic system is in place.

In the interview, he was critical of the way the military rulers have managed the transition period. "We are in a haphazard situation when it comes to the political future of Egypt," he complained.

He said many decisions taken by the military were not discussed enough in advance and other decisions were made too late, such as measures to remove security officers accused of abuses, to keep members of the Mubarak regime from hiding the funds they allegedly took illicitly. He said it remains "an enigma" why the military has not been able to restore security so far.

He said the military issued decrees directing political life, such the law governing political parties and parliament. He criticized lack of debate before a referendum held in March over the framework of a new constitution.

ElBaradei is campaigning for a new constitution to be drafted before parliamentary elections. The voting is set for September, but many activists say that is too soon to allow proper organization and campaigning.

According to the plan endorsed by the military, the new parliament would pick a committee to draft the constitution. ElBaradei and a growing number of public figures argue that drafting a constitution should be the basis for a new political system.

It is not too late to have a dialogue, he said.

"It is an insult to say that Egyptians are not qualified for democracy," he said. "We are taking baby steps toward democracy ... We are learning every day."

ElBaradei said he has not suspended his political activities but has focused on drafting a "Bill of Rights" and a political program with the economy as a priority.

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Yemen opposition: talks over after Saleh government snub (Reuters)

SANAA (Reuters) – Talks to resolve Yemen's political crisis have failed after the deputy to wounded President Ali Abdullah Saleh refused to speak with groups demanding he cede power immediately, opposition figures said.

Saleh, forced to seek medical treatment in Saudi Arabia for wounds suffered in an attack on his palace nine days ago, has refused to leave office despite nearly six months of street protests and many diplomatic attempts to remove him.

The ensuing political paralysis and long-standing conflicts with Islamist insurgents, separatists and rebel tribesmen, has fanned Western and regional fears of Yemen collapsing into chaos and giving al Qaeda a stronghold alongside oil shipping routes.

A member of the group of opposition parties demanding Saleh transfer power now said international efforts to broker an agreement to that end had collapsed because the acting leader, Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, would not talk to them.

"The American and European efforts for a dialogue between opposition parties and the ruling party has failed. The vice-president has refused to deal with or meet opposition parties," Mohammed al-Mutawakkil said.

"He justifies that by saying he is preoccupied with dealing with the fuel crisis and the ceasefire, as well as the security situation in the provinces."

A ceasefire has held in Sanaa since Saleh left a week ago, after more than 200 people were killed and thousands fled during two weeks of clashes between his loyalists and the forces of tribal leader Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar, who backs the protesters.

The capital, however, is all but paralyzed by shortages of fuel and electricity, and violence in a southern province -- whose capital Islamist gunmen seized last month -- has worsened.

POPULATION FLEES CITY AMID FIGHTING

Yemen's army killed 21 al Qaeda members in the southern province of Abyan on Saturday, 18 of them in Zinjibar, the provincial capital that fell. Ten soldiers were killed in fighting there and another city, Lawdar, state media said.

Residents of Zinjibar said fighting continued early on Sunday, leaving at least four soldiers and several gunmen dead.

Yemen's health ministry said it would send 10,000 tones of medical supplies to people who have fled Zinjibar, including some 10,000 in the southern port of Aden.

A Yemeni NGO, Seyaj, called for help evacuating some 500 people trapped in the town due to continued fighting.

Opposition parties have said they will form their own transitional assembly in a week if Saleh does not cede power. It is not clear whether those parties have any significant influence over many of the protesters.

Saleh has three times backed out of plans crafted by oil-rich Gulf neighbors to quit after a transitional period.

His opponents have accused him of handing over Zinjibar to Islamists to reinforce his threat that the end of his three-decade rule, as demanded by protesters, would amount to ceding the region to al Qaeda.

Saleh has not been seen in public since the palace attack, which left him with burns and shrapnel wounds. Yemen's ambassador in London said on Saturday that he was recovering and in a "stable condition".

Saudi medical sources and Yemeni officials said Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Megawar and another cabinet member injured in the palace attack had been taken for more surgery, and described their condition as "serious".

Interfax news agency reported two planes had been dispatched to evacuate Russian nationals who want to leave the country. About 1,000 Russians citizens are in Yemen. (Additional reporting by Mohammed Mukhashaf in Aden, Douglas Busvine in Moscow; Writing by Joseph Logan; Editing by Louise Ireland)

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Iran forces attack protesters: opposition website (Reuters)

TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran's opposition website Sahamnews said security forces attacked pro-reform demonstrators gathering in Tehran on Sunday to mark the anniversary of the 2009 disputed presidential election.

Witnesses said thousands of security personnel were deployed in Tehran to prevent a revival of the mass anti-government rallies that erupted after the 2009 vote.

"Security forces attacked the crowd with electric batons ... in the Vali-e Asr street to disperse the demonstrators," Sahamnews said.

Another opposition website, Kaleme, said "hundreds of demonstrators" were arrested by the security forces.

Opposition websites had called for a "silent rally" to mark the vote, which reformists say was rigged to secure the hardline president's win. Authorities say the election was the "healthiest" since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.

The Sahamnews website also said supporters of the opposition gathered in other parts of the city.

"Shopkeepers were ordered to close down their shops ... hundreds of people have gathered in other areas of Tehran," the website said.

Opposition leaders Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi, who spearheaded protests against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re- election in 2009, had been placed under house arrest after calling for a rally on February 14.

Two people were shot dead at the February 14 rally, during which thousands of the opposition supporters took to the streets in defiance of a heavy security presence to back uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, that toppled their leaders.

Iran, which crushed its own anti-government protests in 2009, says uprisings in the Arab world were inspired by the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution but are worried about revival of anti-government unrest.

Iranian leaders have portrayed the Arab Spring as an "Islamic awakening," while avoiding to support the popular uprising in Syria, its most important ally in the region.

Tehran has strongly condemned military deployment by Saudi Arabia to quell unrest in Bahrain. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are both allied to the West.

(Editing by Matthew Jones)

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Opposition: 8 dead in Syrian violence

Syrian security forces have been accused of brutally suppressing anti-government protests in recent weeks.The dead include two children, according to an opposition groupThree towns in the Homs province were targetedSome of the wounded were reported kidnapped from a hospital

(CNN) -- Eight people, including two children, were killed Sunday when Syrian government forces, in tanks and armored personnel carriers, entered several towns in the Homs province in an attempt to quash protests, according to human rights activists.

The security forces shelled the town of Talbiseh, and one of the shells hit a school bus carrying children, according to protest organizers known as local coordination councils.

Cars were diverted on area highways, meaning the town's residents had to run through fields to a nearby town to escape the shelling, the councils said. The towns of Deir Ba'albeh and Teir Ma'alleh were also targeted, the group said.

Syrian troops fired on civilians, according to the organizers.

Some of the wounded, mostly young men in their 20s, were kidnapped as they arrived at the national hospital, the councils said. They were taken to an unknown destination.

On Saturday, the death toll from violence Friday rose to 13, according to human rights activists.

CNN has not been granted access into Syria and is unable to independently verify the accounts.

Since March, Syria has been torn by street protests against political repression and a fierce security crackdown against demonstrators. The government's harsh actions toward marchers and its thousands of mass arrests have drawn widespread criticism.

Roughly 830 people have been killed in the protests, according tot he Syrian Human Rights Information Link. That number does not include security personnel, which the Syrian government claims died in attacks from "armed groups."

State media reported last week that the Syrian government has offered to hear complaints from citizens for four hours every Monday. "Interior Minister Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ibrahim al-Shaar ... specified Monday or every week for meeting citizens and listening to their complaints related to the Interior Ministry from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Ministry in Dummar," state news agency SANA reported on Saturday.

Citizens may also "continue" to file "written complaints via the complaint boxes distributed in front of police departments" and the ministry's website, SANA said.

The United States has imposed sanctions on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and other senior officials. This month, U.S. President Barack Obama singled Syria out for criticism during a speech on the Middle East.

However, in contrast to the sweeping multi-national push against Libya and its embattled leader, Moammar Gadhafi, there has not been any similar movement yet regarding Syria.

Gerard Araud, France's ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters on Friday it is unlikely there will be any U.N. Security Council vote on Syria through at least the end of May -- when France's rotation as the council president ends.

Another diplomat on the Security Council said Thursday that members did not want to submit a resolution only to have it vetoed by Russia or China, both permanent council members.

"As France, I think we would like a vote as soon as possible," Araud said. "But personally, I don't feel we are there."

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Yemeni jets bomb opposition forces

NEW: The blasts are in the area where a tribal leader opposed to the government lives NEW: A new U.S. message urges U.S. citizens to depart YemenEarlier, a Yemeni defense official says seven air force jets struck east of SanaaHe says tribesmen had overtaken two military compounds

(CNN) -- Five loud explosions rung out early Saturday in the Yemeni capital, residents said, amid a surge of violence pitting tribal forces against those loyal to embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The latest blasts appeared to be in the Al-Hasabah neighborhood of Sanaa, which is home to Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar, the leader of the powerful al-Hashid tribe whose forces oppose the government.

On Friday, a senior Yemeni defense official said that at least seven air force combat jets had bombed tribal forces opposed to the president.

The bombers were deployed east of Sanaa to the district of Nehm, where two military compounds had been overtaken earlier by tribal fighters, said the official, who was not identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

Ahmed Soufi, a senior adviser to Saleh, said 18 people were killed in the fighting.

Witnesses in Nehm said the airstrikes were carried out in several areas of the province northeast of Sanaa, including Al-Fartha Thoma and Beni Shokan.

The fighting started earlier Friday between the Nehm tribesmen and soldiers of the Yemeni Republican Guard.

The tribesmen said the soldiers attacked a village and tribal fighters, battling back, managed to take over military compounds. They said several Yemeni soldiers were killed but CNN could not verify casualties.

"The guards attacked one of our villages for no reason," said Sheikh Moqbel Najeeb, a tribal leader in the area. "We will not accept that and will fight back against anyone who tries to attack us."

The clashes in Nehm have been going on for the past month, Soufi said. He said the tribal fighters were encouraged by the actions of al-Ahmar.

Soufi said the fighting this week erupted after tribesmen were barred from entering Sanaa.

The Nehm district has about 35 tribes but they are not affiliated with al-Hashid.

Abdul Makik Ali, a Nehm tribal fighter said at least seven tribes joined to fight the Yemeni soldiers Friday.

"Our blood is not cheap and we will avenge from the government for every drop of Nehm blood that is shed," Ali said.

The rising violence and unrest prompted a video statement, issued online Friday, by the Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Janice Jacobs urging American citizens "to depart Yemen while commercial transportation is available." The message also outlined ways for people to contact the U.S. government, whether they planned to stay in or leave the Arab nation.

"Rest assured, the State Department is monitoring events in Yemen very closely," said Jacobs.

Saleh, who has ruled Yemen since 1978, has been clinging to power amid a wave of protests calling for his ouster in the past few months.

The simultaneous tribal battle began after a regionally brokered deal calling for Saleh to leave office fell through. Saleh himself is a member of the al-Hashid tribe, a huge entity with many strands.

After an incident in March during which dozens of anti-government demonstrators were killed, al-Ahmar embraced the anti-government demonstrators and broke ranks with the president. Since then, more and more tribal members have turned their backs on the president.

The recent fighting has raised fears of a full-blown civil war in Yemen, an impoverished, arid and mountainous nation that has been a key U.S. ally in the battle against the al Qaeda terrorist network.

Government troops fought street battles with one of Yemen's leading tribes in the capital Thursday, leaving dozens dead as prosecutors sought the arrests of several tribal leaders.

More than 28 people were killed in an explosion at a weapons depot in Sanaa during clashes with members of the al-Hashid tribe, which has turned against Saleh.

Government forces, meanwhile, hit an opposition-controlled television station with rocket-propelled grenades overnight, taking it off the air, witnesses said Thursday. Government troops blocked the roads leading into the capital to prevent other tribal forces from joining the battle.

Witnesses said the fighting subsided considerably after nightfall, but gunfire still crackled across several parts of Sanaa.

The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said the escalation in violence was alarming. Spokesman Rupert Colville said Friday that the agency has received reports of dozens of civilian casualties, including women and children, in the fighting over the past few days .

"We are deeply concerned that such violence may be pushing the country to the brink of a civil war," Colville said at a briefing in Geneva.

"We call on the government to stop the excessive and disproportionate use of force, to stop targeting activists, human rights defenders and journalists, and to seriously investigate all allegations of crimes committed by security forces."

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Yemeni opposition signs transition deal

NEW: Secretary of State Clinton calls on Saleh to transfer powerThe Yemeni president plans to sign the agreement on SundayOther tries to reach a deal have come close to success, but failedThe Gulf Cooperation has shepherded the effort to end the crisis

(CNN) -- Yemen's opposition has signed a regionally brokered deal that would result in the departure of controversial President Ali Abdullah Saleh and end the country's grinding political crisis, opposition officials told CNN.

The president has not yet signed the agreement, designed by the Gulf Cooperation Council, but is expected to do so on Sunday morning, a government official and an opposition official said.

Previous attempts to reach a similar pact -- guided by the alliance of Gulf Arab nations -- have come close to being finished, only to fall through.

While the opposition has been asserting that Saleh has been stalling and is not willing to sign the deal, Yemen's political leadership on Thursday said the hurdles toward forging an agreement were resolved.

Members of the opposition signed the deal in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Saturday night and the president is expected to sign the agreement there as well.

"There were small differences both sides had before signing, but we succeeded in solving the differences," said Mohammed Abulahoum, president of the Justice and Building party.

Abulahoum has helped Abdul Latif Zayani, general secretary of the coalition of Gulf Arab nations, mediate between the leadership and the opposition.

"The signing today opens the door for a better Yemen," Abdulahoum said.

Saleh, who has held power in Yemen for 33 years, is unpopular in many quarters of the country, but he has been a stalwart U.S. ally against terrorism.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Yemen is in "trying times," with suppression and deaths of civilians.

"President Saleh needs to follow through on his commitment to transfer power. The government of Yemen must address the legitimate will of the people," she said in a statement Saturday.

"The United States will continue to support the Yemeni people as you work toward a unified, stable, democratic, and prosperous Yemen. We continue to call for a peaceful transition of power so that the citizens of Yemen may one day realize your aspirations," Clinton said.

Yemen has a strong presence of militants, particularly al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and the impoverished country has been wracked with violent anti-government protests calling for Saleh's ouster.

John Brennan, the top counterterrorism adviser in the White House, has urged Saleh to sign the agreement and make way for political transition.

Tareq Shami, spokesman for the ruling party, said Saleh asked Zayani to delay the signing until Sunday because it's Yemen's unity holiday.

"President Saleh will sign the GCC proposal and he asked Zayani days ago to delay the signing of the proposal until Sunday May 22, as this day is Yemen's unity holiday," Shami said.

"Zayani was pleased that he was able to help end the Yemeni crisis."

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Yemen opposition says power transition deal agreed (Reuters)

SANAA (Reuters) – Yemen's president and opposition agreed on Wednesday to sign a Gulf-brokered deal for a transition of power with slight modifications after intervention from U.S. and European diplomats, an opposition official said.

The deal, which the opposition said would be signed later on Wednesday, would ease entrenched President Ali Abdullah Saleh out of power within a month after a nearly 33-year rule in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula state.

"After American, European and Gulf efforts, there was agreement by the president on the Gulf initiative after simple changes, and the signing will be today," opposition official Yahya Abu Usbua said.

Al Arabiya television quoted an adviser to the Yemeni president as confirming the signing would take place on Wednesday.

The United States and oil giant Saudi Arabia, both targets of foiled attacks from al Qaeda's Yemen wing, are keen to see an end to Yemen's political stalemate, fearing continued chaos could give the militant group more room to operate freely.

Abdullatif al-Zayani, the secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, has been in capital Sanaa since Saturday trying to revive the GCC-brokered deal that Qatar, one of its six members, backed out of citing stalling and "lack of wisdom."

Saleh, a shrewd political survivor who has outlasted previous opponents' attempts to challenge his power, indicated in April he would sign the Gulf deal, but refused to put his name to it in the final hours.

He said at the time he would only sign in his capacity as ruling party leader, not as president.

The opposition, whose coalition includes Islamists and leftists, said that among the minor modifications in the deal were changes in who would sign and in what capacity for the opposition and for the government.

"The president will sign for the government in his capacity as president of the republic and as head of the ruling party," Abu Usbua said.

Protesters, frustrated that three months of street protests have failed to dislodge Saleh, want the 69-year-old leader out immediately and have said they will step up their campaign by marching on government buildings, a move that brought new bloodshed last week as security forces fired to stop them.

Protesters blocked the entrance of the red Sea port of Hudaida, Yemen's second largest port, blocking traffic from entering or leaving, protesters said. The cities of Ibb, Taiz and Hadramout were brought to a standstill as most workers complied with a strike aimed at pressuring Saleh to leave.

(Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari; Writing by Cynthia Johnston; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

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Moroccan police disperse opposition protest (Reuters)

RABAT (Reuters) – Moroccan security services used truncheons to disperse a pro-democracy protest on the southern outskirts of the capital Rabat on Sunday, injuring several people, a Reuters reporter at the scene said.

Dozens of protesters belonging to the February 20 anti-government movement were attempting to hold a protest picnic in front of what they allege is a secret government detention center where Islamists are held.

Anti-riot police chased the protesters before the rally could begin, beating some with long rubber truncheons. A Reuters reporter said one man had been hit on the nose and a woman was hit in the stomach. There was no word on arrests.

"This is the latest in a series of violent interventions by the security forces which shows that the authorities no longer tolerate the group's peaceful protest," said Nizar Benmate of the February 20 movement.

The government's chief spokesman, Khalid Naciri, was quoted as saying by the private Atlantic radio station that the protest was broken up because it had been banned.

He also denied there was a secret detention facility in the vicinity, saying the building singled out by the protesters was a local government administrative office.

Moroccan officials deny allegations from opposition groups and some human rights campaigners that they run secret detention centers and say all detainees are treated in strict accordance with the law.

The authorities had announced on Saturday that the protest on the outskirts of Rabat was banned. Another protest set for Sunday evening in Morocco's commercial capital, Casablanca, has also been banned.

(Reporting by Souhail Karam; Writing by Matthew Bigg and Christian Lowe; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

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Opposition leader's return to Uganda met with renewed violence (The Christian Science Monitor)

Kampala, Uganda – Ronald Ssenkumbi was among the crowd who thronged Uganda's airport to greet Kizza Besigye, the opposition leader who many Ugandans consider the country's true president after February's contested polls.

“The people along this road here represent the real Uganda. We have come here spontaneously to greet Besigye and to show we want change,” says Mr. Ssenkumbi.

Mr. Besigye flew in from Nairobi on Thursday after spending almost two weeks there receiving medical treatment. He was injured when Ugandan security services arrested him as he led opposition protests against spiraling living costs.

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On the road to the airport, where Besigye supporters gathered in jubilant celebration, Ugandan police and military fired on the crowd with tear gas, live ammunition, and struck many with batons. At lease one person was reportedly killed in the violence.

Coming after weeks of unrest and a wave of opposition protests over rising prices, analysts say the unrest could be a sign of things to come as divisions between the opposition and government appear to be deepening.

Besigye's arrival came the same day that Ugandaa€™s veteran president, Yoweri Museveni, was sworn in for a fourth term in office that could extending his rule in Uganda to more than 30 years.

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Decked out in the bright yellow of the president’s ruling National Resistance Movement, Mr. Museveni's supporters gathered in downtown Kampala to listen as he pledged to make Uganda a middle-income country in the next five years and explained how his resounding victory in February elections proved the country was now more united than ever.

“We won an overwhelming victory in all regions,” Museveni said. “Since creation, this is the first time that Ugandans have coalesced into such consensus.”

In theory, Museveni has a lot to be optimistic about. With Ugandan troops in Somalia, he has managed to maintain good relations with the West. What's more, in the next few years, Uganda should start pumping the first of an estimated 2.5 billion barrels of oil believed to be in reserves along the country’s border with Democratic Republic of Congo.

But Museveni's quarter-century rule of Uganda could become one of his biggest problems as the opposition movement appears to be growing.

“In the end you undermine your own legitimacy and destroy any achievements that you’ve made,” says Levi Ochieng, an independent analyst. “The end is always destructive."

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Bahrain: Hezbollah aiding opposition

New: Opposition denies claims of outside helpBahrain's government claims Iranian-backed Hezbollah has been training opposition figures, report saysThe report details meetings between Hezbollah senior officials and Shiite opposition groupsBahrain's ruling Khalifa family is Sunni Muslim, while about two-thirds of the country are Shiite

Washington (CNN) -- The militant group Hezbollah is actively plotting with the opposition in Bahrain to overthrow the country's ruling family, the government said in a confidential report to the United Nations.

"Evidence confirms that Bahraini elements are being trained in Hezbollah camps specifically established to train assets from the Gulf," the report reads. Bahrain has long made claims that Iran and Hezbollah have sought to fuel instability in the nation.

In the report sent to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Bahrain's government claims Iranian-backed Hezbollah has been training opposition figures at its camps in Lebanon and Iran, in an effort to destabilize the Khalifa monarchy. The report also says the militant group has trained militants for activities in neighboring Gulf countries, according to diplomats who have reviewed it.

The government report urges the United Nations to curb Iran and Hezbollah's interference in the country.

Both Iran and Hezbollah have previously denied involvement in the protests. The Bahraini government has launched a violent crackdown against the protesters and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have deployed troops to Bahrain to support the regime.

The report details meetings between Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other senior officials of the group with members of Shiite organizations in Bahrain, such as al Wefaq, one of the country's major opposition parties and the banned al Haq group.

In the report, Bahrain alleges Shiite groups coordinated political strategy inside the country and used Hezbollah's television channel, al Manar to mobilize opposition protests.

Abdul-Jalil Khalil, an al Wefaq member of parliament, denied the claims.

"We believe the problem is a political issue and an internal issue and we have no support from the outside," he said, adding al Wefaq has no formal or informal relationship with Hezbollah and does not use al Manar to aid the movement.

"The movement is a peaceful movement," according to Khalil, who said al Wefaq is interested in serious political reform and not in overthrowing the ruling family.

Hassan Mushaimaa, the secretary general of Haq has been detained, and was unavailable to comment on the report.

Bahrain's ruling Khalifa family is Sunni Muslim, while about two-thirds of the country are Shiite.

The State Department has said it believes Iran's role in Bahrain has been minimal, and that the protests in Bahrain were the product of home-grown frustrations of the country's Shiia, who want greater economic and political participation.

The Obama administration has criticized the Bahraini crackdown and called for the government to enter into political dialogue with the opposition.

CNN's Jenifer Fenton contributed to this report

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U.S. Envoy in Benghazi to Meet Libyan Opposition

Associated Press

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WASHINGTON -- The U.S. envoy to the Libyan opposition is in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi for talks with those leading the revolt against Muammar Qaddafi, the State Department said Tuesday.

The envoy, Chris Stevens, is meeting with members of Libya's Transitional National Council to get a better idea of who they are, what they want and what their needs and capabilities are, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. His visit could pave the way for U.S. recognition of the council as Libya's legitimate government, although no decision is imminent, Toner said.

Stevens was the No. 2 official at the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli until the mission was shuttered in February amid escalating violence. He will be discussing humanitarian and possible financial assistance to the opposition, Toner said.

Three countries, including NATO allies France and Italy, along with Qatar, have recognized the transitional council as the legitimate representatives of the Libyan people, but the United States has yet to follow suit. The U.S. has also not made a decision on whether to arm the rebels.

Stevens will be encouraging the opposition to make their plans clear and commit to respecting and protecting human rights, Toner said. The administration has thus far welcomed pro-democracy pledges from the transitional council and praised their attempts to include a wide cross-section of Libyan society in their ranks.

He said the U.S. recognizes the financial needs of the council and will be talking with its members about how the international community can assist. Some have argued that the U.S. should free up some of the $30 billion-plus in Libyan assets that it has frozen to help the opposition.

"We are going to look at some ways to enable them to meet some of their financial needs and how we can help to do that through the international community, given the challenge of sanctions," Toner said. "We do recognize they need funds to exist."

The diplomatic moves come as the U.S. military dramatically slashed the number of air and naval forces committed to the operation, which began with airstrikes and the enforcement of a no-fly zone to prevent Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi from using his forces against his own people.

Only three Navy warships and a supply ship remain for the operation, compared with the 11 ships there when the intervention began March 19, two defense officials said Tuesday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the data.

The warships are the USS Kearsarge, the USS Ponce and the destroyer USS Barry.

Among those no longer participating in the Libya mission are two submarines, the destroyer USS Stout and the Mount Whitney, which had served as a floating command post for the American admiral who was the on-scene commander until NATO took control Thursday.

There are 90 U.S. airplanes still assigned to the Libya mission. A week ago, there were 170, including 70 strike planes, officials said at the time.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell, asked whether special operations forces will be used in Libya for training the opposition forces or other missions, said President Barack Obama has been clear that there will be no boots on the ground.

"The no military boots on the ground is very clear, and I don't think it needs elaborating," he said.

Special operations forces, however, have been used in other countries under the authority of U.S. intelligence agencies.

Gen. Carter Ham, the top U.S. commander in Africa, says the airstrikes by the U.S. and its partners on Libya upset some nations on the continent. He told a House panel Tuesday that the reaction to the military action was mixed.

Meanwhile, the Air Force secretary said Tuesday the service has been spending about $4 million a day to keep 50 fighter jets and nearly 40 support aircraft in the Libya conflict, including the cost of munitions.

Secretary Michael Donley told reporters that the Air Force has spent $75 million as of Tuesday morning on the war. He said the U.S. decision to end its combat strike role in the conflict will cut costs, but he could not say by how much.

He said the Air Force has spent close to $50 million on the relief effort for the Japan earthquake, including $40 million to evacuate between 5,000-6,000 U.S. personnel. The total U.S. costs for the Libya air campaign as of March 28 were $550 million, not counting normal deployment spending.

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Associated Press writers Pauline Jelinek, Lolita C. Baldor and Donna Cassata contributed to this report.

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